The Land Before Time: Fyn
by Nimbus01
Summary: With the looming threat of an imminent Sharptooth raid, a herd of Fin-Necks must leave their home to find the Great Valley. What follows is an inspiring tale of family, courage, and determination, centered around our hero: an Amargasauruse, or Fin-Neck, named Fyn. Rated T for violence and emotional situations. Reviews welcome.
1. Part 1: Fyn

The Land Before Time: Fyn

New Terms:

Fin-Necks (also referenced as Longnecks): Amargasaurus

Sail-Teeth (or Sharpteeth): Spinosaurus

Drylands: Desert

Deepland: Meteor Crater (featured in "The Land Before Time X: The Great Longneck Migration)

Millions of years ago, when the earth was young, the world was a much different place. Oceans were abundant, the land was constantly changing, and strange plants and animals could be found everywhere. The most magnificent of these animals were the dinosaurs. These graceful creatures called this alien world home. Unfortunately, their lives on this planet were anything but peaceful. Most dinosaurs in these times ate only plants. Some, however, preyed on the plant eaters. These dinosaurs were known as the Sharpteeth. While the Sharpteeth were a constant threat to the Leaf-Eaters, they still played a vital role in the circle of life. However, over time, things began to change. Slowly, more and more Sharpteeth began to appear. During this time, the continents were also undergoing a drastic change. Violent upheavals produced "Earthshakes," which claimed the lives of almost as many Leaf-Eaters as the increasing Sharptooth attacks. With their populations dwindling, and food beginning to run scarce due to drought, the Leaf-Eaters were seemingly faced with only one choice: to stand fast through the changing times and hope to survive. But there was another option. It was only spoken of in whispers among the most ancient of the dinosaurs. The Old Ones told of a paradise, called the Great Valley, where food was plenty, where the climate was fair, and most importantly, which was free of Sharpteeth. As the tales of this location spread, herds began to form, beginning migrations to find this legendary valley. At first, none were successful. One by one, the herds were either decimated by the Sharpteeth, or vanished all together. These fruitless migrations disheartened the Leaf-Eaters, and they began to lose hope. In the midst of these dark times, however, a ray of hope appeared. One small herd of three Longnecks was able to hatch a single egg. It was that small Longneck, named "Littlefoot," that finally gave the herd hope to try to find the Great Valley, despite the odds. During this time of cataclysmic upheaval, the four dinosaurs set out, followed by Leaf-Eaters of other kinds: Swimmers, Three-Horns, Spiketails, and Flyers (which were often looked down upon by the other Leaf-Eaters as not being "true" dinosaurs). Their migration proceeded well, coming closer to the Great Valley than any before, but the forces of nature had other plans. When the dinosaurs were within three days' distance of the Great Valley, tragedy struck. A single Sharptooth attacked the herd during an especially violent Earthshake. During the chaos, the herd was separated, and Littlefoot's mother, the herd's leader, sacrificed herself to save her son from the Sharptooth, as well as another young dinosaur; a Three-Horn called Cera. With no adults for guidance, it was up to Littlefoot and Cera to find the Great Valley on their own. Forced to cooperate, the two began the journey, meeting Spike, the Spiketail, Petrie the Flyer, and Ducky the Swimmer on the way. Together, they made it to the Valley, where they were united with the rest of the herd at last. There was, however, a second story, that began when Littlefoot was born. This story began farther away, in another sort of paradise, located deep in what the dwellers of the Great Valley called the Mysterious Beyond.

_Part 1: Fyn_

The storm had begun. Rain, hot as the desert sun beat down on the small, tropical grove, no doubt a by-product of the humidity earlier. It seemed a miracle at all that out here in the Drylands, life could flourish, yet life did. The grove was home to a small community of Fin-Necks, who lived peacefully and contently inside. So far, they had not been affected by the drastic changes occurring in the world outside, and on this day especially, thoughts of the outside world were far from their minds. One of the Fin-Necks had recently laid three eggs, and all of them had begun to hatch. This was Keva, the daughter of the herd's leader. As the storm built, she huddled over the eggs, sheltering them from the elements with her body and massive sail, which stretched from her head to her upper back. The sail was something that set Fin-Necks apart from the other Longnecks, and they were proud to have it. Standing protectively by was her mate, Labon. It was often whispered that Labon had once taken on three Sharpteeth alone, and that he was next in line to become the next herd leader. He looked every inch the part on most days, bearing a stoic and almost gruff demeanor, but today something about him had changed. The Old Ones, those who had already hatched young, knew, but few others did. He was becoming a father. They could see a glimmer of happiness in his eye, and a smile playing about the edges of his mouth. For what seemed like ages, the herd focused on the small nest, as they stood drenched by the pouring rain. Then, a crack. One of the eggs began to open. At this noise, Poldar, the herd leader, and Keva's father, took his place by Labon's side.

"Brave little one, isn't he?" he whispered as the cracks upon the egg's smooth surface expanded, finally breaking open. A small, orange Fin-Neck with a black stripe running from his head to his tail tumbled out. From the start, he seemed inquisitive, opening his small eyes for the first time and trying to walk towards his mother. Labon chuckled.

"Look," he whispered to Keva, "he's got your eyes."

Falling over again in his attempts to walk, the little dinosaur decided to start inching his way towards his mother instead.

"And your persistence," Keva countered, and she and her mate shared a smile.

"Pardon my interruption," Poldar said, "but what will you name him?"

Again, Keva shared a warm glance with Labon.

"Fyn," she said, "we'll call him Fyn".

Fyn, having now figured out how to use his legs, bounded over to the other eggs and sat down. As if on cue, they began to hatch as well. No one minded that the storm had reached its climax. They were too focused on the sight of new life blossoming in the herd.

...

Many seasons passed. With the help of their parents, Fyn and his sisters, Salde and Rya, became fine young Longnecks, eager to explore their world. A trait which, more often than not, got them into trouble. One of his favorite things to do with his sisters was explore the craggy hills which stood on the Sunset end of the grove. From there, they could look out over the vast desert, and, if they were lucky, find a small cave to explore. If anyone had found out that the children had been playing so close to the grove's edge, of course, they would have been scolded, but so far, no one had caught on to their game. This evening, Fyn and his sisters were once again skirting the rocks at the very peak of the hills, trying to race each other to the ledge which had been ominously named "the Rockfall". Being young, they often told of Longnecks who had slipped off of the rock and plunged to their doom in the trees below, in an effort to scare each other. Today, they had made up their minds to race to it, and finally stand on it once and for all.

"You'll never catch me!" Fyn called as he raced ahead.

"Wanna bet?" Salde called from behind, "I have the speed of a Fastrunner!"

"This is so stupid, can't we just walk this thing?" Rya panted from the back of the pack.

Fyn turned his head around and faced her. "Are you kidding? This is too much fun!"

He didn't get a verbal response from Rya. What he did get, though, was a sudden expression of surprise on Rya's face. He turned his head back around to see where he was going, and almost ran over the Rockfall. He gasped. He had never actually stood on it before. Salde stopped right behind him, and Rya, gasping for breath, followed, collapsing onto the ledge.

"My brother... is such... a leaf-brain."

Fyn shook off the insult, and glanced out over the desert. From this vantage point, he could see even farther than before.

"Wow, it's like I can see the entire... _everything _from here."

Salde walked over to his side. "It's beautiful," she agreed.

"Beautiful?" Fyn snorted in disgust, "I was thinking amazing. I will never understand girls."

"Just you wait!" Rya said, coming up from behind, "one of these days, you'll be begging for my help."

Just then, Salde's eye caught something in the distance. It was her grandfather, Poldar, returning with a group of scouts.

"Hey!" she said, "let's go hear what they have to say. Maybe they've seen something neat."

"Are you crazy?" Rya asked, "they'll never tell us _grown-up _things."

"Dummy!" Salde snapped back, "we'll hide. We're small enough. What do you say, Fyn?"

But Fyn hadn't been paying attention. As the last rays of the Bright Circle dipped below the horizon, he could see the dinosaurs in the scouting herd more clearly. What he saw frightened him. Some bore wounds, varying between long scrapes and small gashes, while others were limping or straining. Poldar, himself, had even been hurt. A slash covered his left flank.

"Guys," Fyn said, "I think something's wrong. Look."

Salde and Rya looked back at the herd and saw what Fyn had seen. Rya tried to stifle a gasp.

"That settles it," Salde said, recovering from the shock of what she'd seen, "we need to go down and find out what happened, otherwise no one will tell us. Agreed?"

The other two Longnecks nodded agreement and started back down the slope. They didn't speak a word; each was silenced by anxiety, and a sort of uncontrollable curiosity. Upon reaching the ground, they began to make their way through the underbrush as silently as possible. As they came closer to the edge of the grove, Fyn could feel the telltale shaking in the ground, and knew the scouts were close by. Behind him, Rya stepped on a twig, snapping it with a loud crack. The three Longnecks froze for what seemed a lifetime. With a scowl aimed at his sister, Fyn started the trio forward again. Now they could hear muffled voices. Fyn recognized his grandfather's voice.

"-they have become too bold. You saw what they did back at the pass."

Fyn and his sisters ducked into the undergrowth and listened.

"Why now? The Sail-Teeth never acted this way in the past."

"Yes, until now, I've never seen more than two together at the same time, and they always left us alone."

"Who can say? I've heard tell of some Longnecks living far from here whose nesting grounds suddenly became uninhabitable; too many Sharpteeth and Egg-Stealers, not to mention the Earthshakes. There's more, too. From what I can gather, they've begun to have the sleep stories about the Bright Circle again, and I think they're affecting our herd, too."

"You don't suppose it's... that time once again?"

"As I said before, I know nothing now. All I can say, is that if more of us start to have these sleep stories, we will need to travel to the Deepland again, to help our fellow Longnecks put the Bright Circle back in place, as is the custom."

"But the Sail-Teeth... they're attacking any time we set foot outside the grove, now."

"Right. If these dreams are real, then I'm afraid we will not be able to migrate to the Deepland. For now, go back to your families; tell nothing of this. We have enough on our hands without stirring up feelings of fear, but prepare them for the worst."

"Are you saying that we should expect an attack?"

"I am saying nothing yet, but I fear that if the Sail-Teeth continue to come closer to the grove, we may have to fight, and if they come in force, we may not be able to push them back. If we must, we'll have to break through their territory and migrate."

"Migrate? Migrate where?"

Fyn and his sisters listened on, their attention fully captured.

"I know where the Great Valley is."

"What! How?"

"That group of migrating dinosaurs I mentioned earlier, the ones who were having the Bright Circle dreams- I spoke to their leader, Bron. He'd made up his mind to waste no time in getting to the Deepland. He mentioned something about finding his son there. He also mentioned that before the dreams started, he had been planning on trying to find the Great Valley. He said that his son might have gone there, as well. He told me what he knew about the Valley's location before we parted."

"But if we migrate, what then? I've heard stories of Sharpteeth out there, much worse than the Sail-Teeth. Some say they hunt down herds for pleasure!"

"I know of these Sharpteeth; I've seen them. They are no threat, as long as we stay united as a herd. Now listen to me, it's altogether possible that none of this will even happen, but if it does, it's a matter of staying here and losing most of the herd, or leaving and taking our chances looking for the Great Valley. Now go, tend to your wounds and keep knowledge of this attack as confined as possible."

Fyn heard the scouts lumber off. His mind was abuzz with what he'd just heard. Sharpteeth? Here? He had only heard about them in stories. And the Great Valley- another story he'd heard- it was real? He turned around. His sisters seemed equally awestruck. Fyn spoke.

"We need to get back home, or mother and dad might be suspicious."

"Right," Salde agreed. Rya just silently nodded.

"Follow me," Fyn said, stepping forward, there's a shortcut right over-"

At that instant, Fyn stepped out of the underbrush, and tumbled down a small hill, right into his grandfather's leg. The old Fin-Neck was surprised to see Fyn and his sisters.

"Fyn, Salde, Rya, what are you three doing out here? Didn't your mother and father tell you not to venture this far from the nest?" Suddenly, he froze.

"Fyn," he said, his tone more serious, "did you hear what I was saying just now?" Ashamed, Fyn looked downward.

"Well, see, we were... playing around here, and I might have heard a word or two."

Poldar lowered his face down to Fyn's eye level.

"Grandson, look me in the eye and tell me the truth. How much of my conversation did you hear?"

Fyn gulped. "All of it."

Poldar lifted his head back up and sighed.

"I suppose it's natural that you three would hear of this sooner or later. Perhaps it's even best if you know. I never would have been able to explain this anyway." He turned, exposing the jagged wound on his flank. Salde spoke.

"Grandpa, what are the Sail-Teeth?"

As she uttered the name, a fire seemed to smolder in Poldar's eyes.

"My granddaughter, it would do you and your siblings best not to know of such things, but I know that you will never rest until you know the truth." He paused. "Many years ago, the grove was peaceful; no Sharptooth could brave the Drylands to get to it. We all lived without fear, and so became ignorant to the threats of the world. Only a few seasons ago, just before you were born, the skywater fell on the grove, and the Drylands around it. We thought nothing of this; skywater had fallen here before, but this time was different. It fell for much longer than it had before. Soon, the water completely covered parts of the Drylands. When the sky water stopped falling, we quickly realized that the water had brought with it new life. Strange creatures swam in its depths, and it was these creatures that first brought the Sail-Teeth to us. They came from beyond, no one knew exactly where, to feed on these swimming creatures, and they were Sharpteeth unlike any we had known before. They had long claws and fangs, and a sail on their backs. It was this sail that gave them their name. For a time, they were content to stay by the water, far away from us, but for reasons no one can explain, one of our kind was brought down by a Sail-Tooth when she strayed too far from the grove. Since then, they have begun to hunt us, attacking anyone outside the grove without warning, and without mercy. Tonight, we found out just how close the attacks are coming to the grove. I fear that if this pattern continues, this land will no longer be safe. For anyone."

The old Longneck's words were met with silence from the three children. Danger, to them, had always meant nothing more serious than slipping while climbing up rocks, or tripping while running through the forest. This was serious. This was a matter of life or death. Finally, Fyn spoke up.

"If you're so sure that the Sail-Teeth might attack us, then why did you tell the other scouts to keep quiet about the attack today?"

At this, Poldar hesitated. "Grandson," he said, "in time you will learn that the greatest danger to a herd is not Sharpteeth or Earthshakes, or even starvation. It's panic. Panic makes us lose all sense, and makes us do rash, often dangerous things. Imagine, for a moment, if someone assumed the Sharpteeth were attacking tonight. When panic sets in, that assumption could lead to a stampede, break up the herd, or even force some of us out past the grove's borders and into the Sail-Teeth. Panic spreads like fire. Do you see now, how dangerous it can be?"

Fyn nodded as his Poldar continued. "Only a few of us are gifted with the ability to look past the panic, and make clear decisions in a time of crisis. It is these dinosaurs who grow up to lead herds, and explore the Mysterious Beyond. In fact," he added "I could see you leading a herd some day."

Fyn was taken aback, not because he disagreed, but because his grandfather had guessed exactly what he wanted to do when he grew up. He'd never seriously considered the option, though, because he'd been told that very few dinosaurs could lead herds. He'd almost forgotten the entire idea, but his grandfather's words had inspired him. His sisters just rolled their eyes.

"Do you really think so?" he said.

"Without any doubt", Poldar said with a smile. "Now let's get moving. I'm so hungry I could eat every tree in the grove!"

"Not if I get them first!" Salde countered, and with that, they all set off for home.

…...

Upon entering the clearing his family called home, Fyn was pleasantly surprised to see that his mother had gathered branches of some of the most delicious green food the grove had to offer. His mouth began to water as he realized that he hadn't eaten all day. Keva looked up as Fyn and the others came closer.

"Well," she said, "thank goodness you arrived when you did, otherwise I would have had to eat all of this food by myself!"

Poldar chuckled. "What! And save none for your own father?" He and Keva touched muzzles in greeting. As they drew back, Poldar misstepped and winced. The expression was slight, but Keva saw it.

"What's wrong, dad?" She asked. Then she saw his flank, and the jagged scar across it. "That's a bad wound. Lie down in the shade and rest it. You shouldn't be walking around on with a scratch like that". Poldar complied and laid down to rest beneath a large tree.

"How did you manage to get hurt like that, anyway?" Keva asked.

"I... fell over by some rocks. I must have been cut on the way down." The story seemed plausible, but Fyn could tell his mother wasn't entirely convinced.

"Really? Must've been a pretty angry rock to make a wound like that.".

Before the conversation could go any farther, Labon walked into the clearing.

"Hey everyone," he said.

Keva greeted him. "Anything happen today?"

Labon lowered his head. And spoke in a low, grieving tone. "I guess you could say that. We lost another one of us to the Sail-Teeth. I don't know why, but we were on the edge of the grove, checking the borders as usual, when three of them came running out from behind a cluster of rocks. We had no time to defend ourselves. They hit us hard. When I regained my senses, I saw them leaving as quickly as they came, but they took one of our party with them."

At these words, Poldar froze. Two attacks in one day? Rya walked over to him and spoke.

"Grandpa, how much time do we have before they attack again? What if it's tonight, or tomorrow?"

Poldar considered this, then answered. "I'm afraid you may be right, Rya. If the herd isn't ready for an attack, then we don't stand a chance if those Sharpteeth decide to raid us." Poldar then addressed the family. "Everyone, I have news as well. My scouting party was also attacked by the Sail-Teeth today. My wound was no accident." He stood up and continued "If we leave the grove soon, we may stand a chance of survival, but if we don't, they may eventually come in force, and we will be overwhelmed without a doubt."

"Where will we go?" Keva asked.

"There's no telling how much territory the Sail-Teeth have claimed," added Labon. "We need to go somewhere where we can be absolutely sure they won't harm the herd."

Poldar nodded. "Exactly, which is why tomorrow I will announce to the herd that we will soon set out for the Great Valley."

"So it's real, then..." Keva marveled. "How do you know where it is?"

"I talked to the leader of a herd of passing Longnecks. He was confident of its location. I know that we're operating purely on trust in this matter, but it's the only option we have. We can't stay here. Within days the Sail-Teeth will move in, and we will lose any chance of survival."

"What about our migration to the Deepland?" Labon added. "Keva and I have been having the sleep stories again."

Poldar sighed. "As have I. I'm afraid there's nothing we can do. We will perform whatever actions we can from the safety of our grove. We must trust in the strength of our fellow Longnecks to save the Bright Circle."

Fyn was confused. "The Bright Circle is in danger? How? What dreams are you talking about?"

Keva leaned down toward her son. "I'll tell you and your sisters on one condition: that you go to sleep as soon as I'm done."

Fyn and his sisters nodded assent. It was getting late, after all. Keva told them an old Longneck tale of how the Night Circle became jealous of the Bright Circle and hurled it towards the ground below. The only animals that could save it were the Longnecks. The Longnecks stretched their necks out as far as they could to catch the Bright Circle and throw it back into the sky, which is why the Longnecks came to have such long necks. This event would happen again, from time to time, but the Longnecks always had sleep stories about it beforehand, and were always ready to put the Bright Circle back in place. At the conclusion of the story, Keva glanced at her children. All were fast asleep.

...

That night, the Bright Circle sleep story finally came to Fyn. In it, he was standing back on the Rockfall, looking out over the Mysterious Beyond. The Bright Circle was high overhead. As he looked into the distance, he could see a long, dark shape, like a crack, forming in the ground. The ground began to shake as Fyn realized it _was_ an enormous crack being formed by the biggest Earthshake he'd ever known. He tried to run, but his legs couldn't move. He was forced to watch this great and terrible display of nature's force. As the crack in the earth widened, he saw something begin to move out of it. It looked like a cloud, but it was brown, and swirled and whipped around the ground at a tremendous speed. The grown-ups had a name for this: a sandstorm. As he watched, petrified, the sandstorm came closer, building in height and intensity like a thundercloud, until it engulfed him. He began to panic, looking for a way out, any break in this nightmarish cloud. His grandfather's words echoed in his head: _"Only a few of us are gifted with the ability to look past the panic, and make clear decisions in a time of crisis". _He shook his head, to try to clear his thoughts, and looked up. Slowly, a hole began to form in the blowing sand above his head. As the hole grew larger, he could see the Bright Circle again, but something was different. As he watched, a dark shape began to move over it, blocking it. When the Circle was completely covered, a great light suddenly flared from it. At the same time, it seemed to draw closer.

_"It's falling"._ He thought. Fyn instinctively stretched out his neck in preparation, just as his mother had told him to do, but before he could finish, a sound behind him made him stop. It was a low growl. Fyn spun his head around. Emerging from the sandstorm was a dark shape. It walked towards him on two legs, and it was enormous. Fyn saw long claws on its fingers. Then, realization dawned on him. He was staring at a...

"Sharptooth!" Fyn awoke with a start, yelling the word. He was panting as he stood to check his surroundings. He was back in the clearing. Everyone was still asleep. The Night Circle was still in the sky, but color was forming on the horizon. Fyn knew he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep, and his sleep story troubled him. It wasn't the same as the sleep story his mother had described the night before. He needed time to think. As he looked towards the horizon, he saw a Longneck silhouetted on the Rockfall. It was his father. Fyn decided to leave for the Rockfall, too. He needed someone to talk to.

After plunging through the thick undergrowth, he finally came to the rocks. As he made his way towards his father, Labon turned.

"Hey, Fyn. You couldn't sleep either?"

Fyn stood by his father. "Yeah. I had a nightmare."

"Oh? What sort of nightmare?"

Fyn told his father the details of his sleep story, everything from the Earthshake to the Sharptooth. He left out no details. When he was finished, Labon considered him for a moment.

"Fyn, I've never heard of any Longneck having a sleep story like that before. I wouldn't worry, though. You probably got the Bright Circle sleep story mixed up with everything we told you yesterday. It's definitely a lot to find out at one time."

Fyn nodded, not entirely reassured. He changed topics.

"So dad, what do you know about the Great Valley?"

Once again, Labon glanced towards the horizon with a distant look in his eyes.

"The Great Valley is the most wonderful place in the world to live. Sharpteeth don't live there, the food is always green, water never runs dry, and Leaf-Eaters of all sorts live there. In fact, our ancestors lived there, once."

This was new to Fyn. No one had mentioned this before.

"Why did they leave?"

"Well, no one really knows, although some say it was because we had a desire to move on, and to explore the Mysterious Beyond. You have to remember that in those days, the Great Valley was much different. For starters, the Mountains that Burn erupted constantly, particularly the Smoking Mountain, so much of it was uninhabitable."

Fyn looked puzzled. Labon chuckled.

"I'm sorry. I forgot that this is the first time anyone's really told you about the Great Valley in detail. On one side, the Great Valley is bordered by the Mountains that Burn. The largest of these is the Smoking Mountain. It's a big,black mountain that spits fire and dark smoke. When it erupted, fire covered much of the valley, or so I'm told. It's strange, though. The fire that came from the mountain flowed, much like water, and when this fire cooled down, it formed what is now called the Great Wall. The wall is what kept the Sharpteeth out after they were driven away by the eruption. The Fin-Necks left when this happened, but not long after, new plants began to grow. Not a single dinosaur even touched the Valley for many seasons. Around when you were born, though, most of the land was changing, and other dinosaurs needed somewhere safe to go, and a few found the Great Valley. We just never had a need to leave until now."

Fyn let this information sink in. "Did you ever see the Great Valley?"

"Oh no," said Labon. "That was long before my time. I only know because of the stories passed down from generations". He glanced back at the clearing. "We should probably get back before your mother wakes up, and I want to be there for your grandfather's announcement."

At this point, Fyn remembered his dream again.

"Do you think the Bright Circle will fall today?"

Labon considered this. "I think that there's a good chance it will, yes. If it does, we'll do all we can to help from here."

"Great," Fyn said, but as he walked away, he couldn't entirely suppress his feelings of unease.

...

Later that day, Poldar called a meeting near the Rockfall. Anxiety seemed to fill the air. The sky was taking on a strange hue, and everyone felt restless. As they gathered, they tried to keep these feelings private, so as not to upset anyone else. When all of the Longnecks were assembled, Poldar addressed them.

"Fellow Longnecks, friends, brothers and sisters, I have unfortunate news. Today is a sad day for all of us. Sail-Teeth have been attacking us, and these attacks have been coming closer everyday. I fear that we don't have much time before they enter the grove and attack us directly. To that end, we will leave this place before the Night Circle rises."

Whispers of confusion, and even discontent, could be heard.

"I know that this is short notice, but you have to trust me. Before we leave, however, we will perform our duties to save the Bright Circle from falling. Doubtless many of you have felt that it will fall today. I believe the same. I suggest, then, that once you are prepared to leave, meet at the Rockfall so we can be ready for it. You may leave now, to prepare for the journey".

Fyn turned to his sisters. Both Salde and Rya had been listening attentively.

"It's kind of exciting, isn't it? Leaving to find the Great Valley, I mean."

"Yes," Salde said. Her sister let out a "no" simultaneously.

Rya continued. "What I really want to see is how we're going to keep the Bright Circle from falling."

"Yeah, me too," Fyn said. He decided not to mention his dream for the time being. Then a thought crossed his mind.

"Well," he said, "since this is probably our last chance to do it, who wants to race me to the Rockfall?"

"Sure thing," Salde answered, "but don't count on beating me."

Rya groaned, but Fyn could tell she wanted to race as well.

"All right, then. Ready, set, go!"

And with that, the three took off into the trees for the last time.

...

Fyn and his sisters watched the Bright Circle reach its highest point in the sky. As they watched, more Longnecks joined them. The longer they watched, the more impatient they grew. Finally, Salde had just about had it.

"I'm fed up with this! When is the Bright Circle going to fall?"

"Well," Poldar said as he walked up behind them, "I can't really say that's a good question to ask. It would be better if it just stayed in its place."

"Well I'm bored."

Poldar grinned. "You will see it soon enough. Just give it time."

Just then, something at the grove's edge caught Fyn's eye. Movement? He couldn't say, but every sense in his body was on alert. Then the sky seemed to change colors. Fyn snapped his head back to look at it. Everything was turning a dark pinkish color.

"Whoa" he heard Rya say.

"Whoa" was probably an appropriate expression, Fyn agreed to himself. He could see a shadow, moving quickly across the land. When the shadow reached him, he looked up and saw that another shadow was moving over the Bright Circle. As he watched, all of the Longnecks near him began to stand as erect as they could, stretching their necks towards the sky. Fyn and his sisters caught on and quickly did the same. Then something occurred to Fyn: the Bright Circle did this in his sleep story, too. But something was missing. He racked his brain, trying to remember, when it dawned on him. This was the exact time when...

"The Sharptooth attacked," he finished aloud. He looked around. Everyone was still focusing on the Bright Circle, which was now almost entirely covered. Suddenly, he heard it: a low growling sound, coupled with heavy breathing and the almost imperceptible padding of feet upon the forest floor. He knew what would be coming next.

"Everyone!" he yelled, "stop now!"

"Hush Fyn" his grandfather said, "this needs to be done in silence."

"But grandpa, this is just like in my sleep story."

"What sleep story?"

"Last night I had the Bright Circle sleep story, but in it, we were attacked by Sharpteeth, and I think I heard one just now!"

"Fyn, just hold out through this, after we're done, we'll-"

He never finished the sentence, though, because at that point, the first of the unsuspecting Longnecks was violently pulled back through the brush.

"Sharpteeth!" Labon yelled, "everyone prepare to defend yourselves!"

They came out of the woods, six at least. The stood almost as tall as a Fin-Neck standing on its back feet, and they had nightmarish jaws, piercing yellow eyes, and sharp teeth and claws. The sail on their backs, studded with small spikes, only completed the fearsome picture. They charged forward and roared, a terrible screech that undulated between high and low pitches. Before anyone could react, another Longneck was down, a victim of the terrible claws. Then the Longnecks began to defend themselves, lashing their long, whip-like tails through the air. The Sharpteeth began to fall back, but three more came from behind and they moved forward again. Over the commotion, Fyn could hear his grandfather.

"Run, everyone! Meet at the jumping water field and try to stay together!"

Fyn knew where the jumping water field was. It was an escape plan that had been put in place just one season after he was born. The field was just outside of the grove, and had holes in it that shot hot water into the air. The Longnecks knew where they were, but the Sharpteeth didn't, and hopefully this would be enough to deter them. He nodded to his sisters.

"Come on, let's get to safety at the jumping water field."

His sisters took off running, following Keva. Fyn soon followed as well. When they reached the bottom of the rocks, Fyn could tell that the situation was much worse on the forest floor, and the eerie light conditions caused by the Bright Circle only made everything more frightening. Everywhere, he could hear Sail-Teeth. He would occasionally see one dash out from behind a clump of trees to attack a Longneck.

"Keep moving, children!" Keva cried. They moved swiftly, over logs, through streams, around rocks. Fyn could see that they were moving closer to the edge of the grove by the telltale sand that was lining the forest floor. They came to a sudden break in the trees. In this break was a steep, sandy slope, which led down to a river, and a few rocks. At the bottom were two Sail-Teeth.

"We'll have to find a way around." Keva said.

At that moment, a Sharptooth came out of the trees behind them. Keva was ready for it, and dispatched it with a crack of her tail. As the Sharptooth fell, however, its tail lashed out, catching Fyn and throwing him down the slope. The impact dizzied Fyn, and he regained his senses halfway down the slope. He realized that he was sliding directly towards the two Sharpteeth. As he slid, he saw something in the rocks below: a small cave, just big enough for a young Longneck. He made up his mind. When he hit the ground, he barely had enough time to get to his feet before the Sail-Teeth noticed him. They were on to him in seconds, and Fyn began to run as fast as he could for the cave. As he reached it, he noticed that the two Sharpteeth had begun to fight.

"Fighting over who gets me, no doubt," Fyn thought, as he scrambled for the back of the cave.

Meanwhile, Fyn's mother looked on, fighting off advancing Sail-Teeth. Salde and Rya had taken shelter underneath her. As she began to grow weary, she realized that she had to make a decision: leave Fyn to find his way out himself, or try to rescue him and almost certainly lose Salde and Rya. With tears in her eyes, she made her choice.

Fyn reached the back of the cave without a moment to spare. Long, toothy jaws shoved themselves into the opening of the cave, and snapped and thrashed. All Fyn could do was stay put. Suddenly, the jaws withdrew. Had the Sharptooth given up, or had it found another meal? Fyn was considering leaving the cave when he heard his mother's faint voice.

"Fyn, if you can hear me, stay where you are until this quiets down. I know you can find us. Be brave!"

Fyn heard, and complied. He laid down in the back of his cave, realizing that for the first time in his life, he was truly on his own. As he lay there, he could hear why the Sail-Teeth had abandoned him. Other Longnecks had come to the same slope. Some had stopped in time, but he could hear the sound of others sliding down, towards the jaws of the hungry Sharpteeth below. He could hear bellows, screeches, the unmistakable sound of Fin-Neck tails cracking through the air, but as time went on, the sounds of the Longnecks became fainter, until eventually they were gone altogether. The Sharpteeth, on the other hand, were still outside, and snapping their jaws in a manner which suggested they were pleased with something. Whether it was because of stress, the sounds of battle, or exhaustion, Fyn began to sob, and fell into a short, restless sleep.

...

When Fyn awoke, all was quiet. He cautiously moved toward the mouth of the cave and peered out. It was night. At the water's edge, a Sharptooth was bent over a dark shape, taking bites out of it. Fyn didn't need to guess what it was. Silently, he slipped away and headed upriver, in the direction of the jumping water field. When he was finally out of sight of the Sharptooth, he assessed his situation. Judging by the Night Circle's position, walking would take him until morning. He could follow the river and have a clear view ahead and behind him for the duration of the walk, or he could save time by walking through the forest. He chose the former idea, but as he rounded a corner, he knew that it would never work. Several Sail-Teeth had congregated near the river. He would never make it past undetected. Luckily, at this point, the slope into the forest was nowhere near as steep as the slope near his cave. He hurried into the forest.

Inside, the forest was cool, and the silence was only broken by the sound of insects. Fyn shuddered. This would be the ideal location for an ambush. He'd often heard how Sharpteeth could hide for long periods of time, in wait for prey. He hoped the prey wouldn't be him today. He walked on, gaining ground slowly but silently. Suddenly, he found himself in a tangle of vines and low-growing foliage. His vision was obscured, but Fyn felt a rush of delight. He knew this place. The border was close now! At that moment, he froze. He could hear something breathing heavily. He tensed, waiting to be snapped up by massive jaws, but the attack never came. Instead, he listened more closely. The breathing was heavy, yes, but it was also strained. As if whoever was breathing was hurt. Putting his fears aside, Fyn decided to help the source of the breathing, and he pushed through the scrub.

When he emerged, he was face-to-face with Enif, one of the Old Ones in his herd. She was lying on her side, and her eyes were shut. Fyn could see a large wound on her exposed side. As he approached, Enif opened her eyes.

"Fyn..." she whispered, "thank goodness, it's you."

"Come on, Enif," Fyn said, pushing her neck, "we need to keep moving. Those Sharpteeth will be back any moment."

"Fyn, it's too late for me. In a moment, my time in the great circle of life will be done."

Fyn started to cry. "But it's just a little farther... we could heal you." Even as he said these words, he knew it wasn't possible. There was no way to heal Enif outside of the grove, and even if there was, she was in no condition to move.

"No, Fyn. I'll stay here." She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again. "Your family is alive. They all made it out of the grove safely. I saw them leave, and tried to distract the Sharpteeth to give them more time. Salde and Rya barely made it."

"Thank you," Fyn whispered, then added "I wish there was something I could do."

Enif smiled weakly. "You stayed with me to the end. There's nothing better I could ask for. Now go, before the Sail-Teeth come back." Slowly, the great Fin-Neck's eyes closed, and she lay still. Fyn, choking back sobs, turned away to leave. As he began to walk away, he heard the telltale breathing of a Sharptooth close by. He turned around just as a Sail-Tooth came lumbering out of a stand of trees behind him. It paid no attention to him, focusing on Enif. Fyn began to run. He was close now, he could see sunlight through the trees. The Bright Circle was rising. Just a little farther...

The second Sail-Tooth seemed to come from out of nowhere. It burst out of the trees next to Fyn. Without hesitation, Fyn called for help as loud as he could, while zigzagging between the trees to confuse the Sharptooth. Despite his efforts, the beast was learning his trick. He could feel its hot breath as he ran. He was so close now, just a fallen tree's length away. He burst out of the grove- and into the protection of Labon.

"Get behind me, son." Labon ordered.

Fyn complied, as Labon snarled at the oncoming Sail-Tooth. It charged forward, but Labon sidestepped, and it missed. As the Sail-Tooth crouched for another fast charge, Fyn saw his father perform something he'd never seen done before. Labon reared up on his back legs, and as the Sharptooth charged, he thrust his front legs into it, catching it just below the neck. The Sharptooth flew backwards, landing on its side, dazed. It clawed at the ground, trying to get up. When it finally succeeded, it dashed off into the grove.

Relaxing his stance, Labon turned to his son.

"Are you all right?"

Fyn, relieved, answered "I'm fine. How were you right outside the grove when the Sharptooth was chasing me?"

"I stayed out here all night, and I heard a commotion just now. I had a feeling it was you. I'm proud of you, son. Not many could have made it through the grove alone."

"Thanks, dad." Fyn was awestruck. "Do you think you could teach me that move sometime?"

Labon grinned. "Perhaps one day when you're older. And taller. What would you hit, a bush?" Turning more serious, he added "come on, we need to get back to the herd. The Bright Circle has started its path, and we need to start our journey. Your mother will want to see you, too. She's been worried all night."

The two began to walk toward the rocky ground that meant the jumping water field was close.

"Dad," Fyn said, "it's bad in there. How many got out?"

"Most of us, but there are others who didn't make it. We've been waiting for stragglers. You're the last one we know survived."

"I saw Enif. She- she-" Fyn couldn't finish his sentence.

"I know, son. She was brave in life, though. Remember her for that, and know that she's in a better place. They say that the stars you see in the sky are all dinosaurs that lived good and honorable lives, so Enif will never truly be gone. She'll always see you."

Fyn sniffed. "Well that helps, but I wish she could have come with us to the Great Valley."

"Well, Enif always loved the grove. It may even be the reason she stayed behind to help everyone else get out, but I guarantee you that she'll be watching us from above when we find the Great Valley."

Fyn nodded. His father's words made sense, and calmed him. He looked up just in time to see a natural rock wall ahead.

"Just behind that wall is the herd," said Labon, "are you ready to see the rest of your family again?"

Without answering, Fyn bolted ahead, rounding the corner. There, lying on the outside of the herd's circular sleeping arrangement, were his mother and sisters.

"Mother, Salde, Rya!" he yelled, rushing forwards. His family awakened, and with tears of joy, welcomed him back.

"Welcome back, you Leaf-Brain," Rya laughed as they touched muzzles.

The sounds of excitement awakened the rest of the herd. They all were glad to see Fyn back safe and sound. Poldar stepped forward from the crowd.

"Fyn, you never cease to impress me. I'm proud to have you as a grandson."

"And I'm proud to have you as a grandpa," Fyn said, "if it weren't for you, less of us would have gotten out."

"Still," Poldar said, "I only wish we could have rescued more of them."

Labon stepped forward. "We have a long journey ahead of us. I think it's time we left this place."

"Yes, it most certainly is," Poldar agreed. He summoned the attention of everyone with a trumpeting bellow.

"Everyone, today we leave our old home in search of a new life in the Great Valley. The path will not be easy, but each and every one of you has shown immense courage and fortitude in escaping the grove. I expect nothing less during this migration. We cannot fully prepare for what we may face, but no matter the challenge, we will stand united as a herd and face it. No one will be left to brave these perils alone. The only thing that will get us to the Great Valley is teamwork, and I know we can all count on each other to get through this. Now, we move. Forward, to a new life!'

With Poldar's closing words, the Fin-Necks began their long trek, not knowing what perils awaited them in the Mysterious Beyond.


	2. Part 2: The Migration

The Land Before Time: Fyn

_Part 2: The Migration_

The Drylands were desolate. No one bothered to ask why nothing grew there, for the climate was too hot, the dirt too dry, and water too scarce for most life to survive. Yet today, the few creatures that called the Drylands home saw a herd of strange dinosaurs making their way through. Naturally, the residents were curious, but they all managed to observe while remaining out of sight. Many developed theories about what would happen to the herd. A few had hope for them, but most had already declared them dead. And so, they watched on, without a care. There was, however, a single dinosaur that watched the herd with particular interest through small, hate-filled eyes. He, too stayed out of sight, but he followed the herd's trail with determination. He knew from experience that the dinosaurs would eventually succumb to the heat and hunger, and when that happened, he, the Sharptooth, would strike.

...

Fyn's mouth had never been so dry in his life. His tongue stuck to the roof of it, and he could barely speak. The Bright Circle had risen and fallen three times already during the journey, and still he had seen no sign of the Great Valley. His sisters were faring no better. The grown-ups had to constantly remind them that the Great Valley was still far away, and that water, which was scarce, would be found soon, according to the information Poldar, Fyn's grandfather, had received from another herd leader. Fyn was hoping the Great Valley would really be worth the effort. Currently, he'd been joking with his sisters that he'd rather be back in the grove, taking his chances with the Sail-Teeth. They'd laughed, of course, and so had Fyn, each finding humor in such an absurd idea. The problem was that Fyn wasn't entirely convinced it _wouldn_'_t _be a bad idea now. He tried to keep such thoughts from his mind, but every time he banished one thought, a whole new one, equally terrible, would surface. He needed something, anything, about his current situation to improve, or risk losing all hope entirely. On this day, he decided to temporarily alleviate his ill feelings by making conversation with his sisters.

Fyn moved through the moving legs of the other Fin-Necks with ease, locating his sisters, Salde and Rya, next to his mother. They preferred to stay close to family while Fyn found he liked to roam near the outside of the herd. It kept him busy. Salde was looking dazed, probably from the heat, and Rya, despite being in the shade, didn't look any better. She trembled at every step.

"Hey," Fyn said, "have you guys seen anything neat over here, yet?"

"What do you think?" Salde snapped, ending the friendly mood between them.

_"Wow,"_ Fyn thought _"the heat's making them angrier, too."_

"I was just trying to make conversation," he said.

"I'm sorry," Salde apologized, "it's just that we've had nearly nothing to drink for almost the whole trip. I'm thirsty, I'm hot, and I'm tired."

"I can say the same," Fyn agreed. Then Rya spoke up.

"What if we just rested a bit?"

Keva, Fyn's mother, must have overheard. She craned her massive neck down to speak to the children.

"My dears, if we stop before we find water, it will be hard for us to start moving again. Trust me, water isn't far away. Hold out just a little longer."

Fyn grudgingly agreed, and his sisters did the same. The herd went on for a while longer like this, and it wasn't until the Bright Circle had almost fallen that Poldar called for the herd to stop.

At his tone, Fyn snapped out of the daze he'd been in for most of the walk.

"Listen up, everyone," Poldar said, "Water is close by. I know all of you are thirsty, but let the Old Ones and the children drink first. We will stop near the water for the night, and we will leave when the Bright Circle rises in the morning. Eat well, and drink. After this point, there is no guarantee of water until the Great Valley."

Fyn was immediately alert again. Water? Where? He couldn't see it. What he could see was plants growing in the area. He thought back to something his father, Labon, had once told him.

"_If you ever find yourself lost in the Drylands without water, look for green food. It only grows near water."_

Fyn raced to the front of the herd to stand with Poldar. As they got on the move again, Fyn strained his eyes to see the water. Slowly, they climbed over a dune, and on the other side was the most beautiful sight Fyn had seen that day.

"Water," he gasped. Poldar laughed.

"It certainly is. I can tell you've been working hard for this entire walk. How about a ride?"

Fyn was ecstatic. "You mean it?"

"Sure," said his grandfather, "climb on."

He lowered his tail to the ground, and Fyn climbed up between his grandfather's double rows of spines. It was quite a view. The pool of water was surrounded by some spiny-looking trees, and some small bushes. There were a few normal-looking trees as well. In all, it looked like a fine place to stay for the night.

"Ready, Fyn?" His grandfather called from up front.

"Ready for what?" Fyn called back.

"Just hold on until we get to the water."

Poldar began to run towards the pool. Just before he reached the water, he turned around and lowered his tail. Understanding what his grandfather meant, Fyn jumped onto his tail and slid into the water. It wasn't very cold, but it was refreshing. He rolled around in it until Poldar said "it's time to get out. We need to make room so others can drink."

Fyn exited the water without bothering to shake himself dry. The cool liquid felt good on his sun-dried skin. Patiently, he waited as the Old Ones drank their fill. When they were finished, he moved back to the pool and began to drink. Water had never tasted so good in his life. he drank until he could hardly stand it. Then he and his sisters found Keva underneath one of the strange, spiny trees.

"Try some of the green food on this tree. I know it doesn't look appetizing, but it's actually pretty good once you give it a try, and it will keep you full for a while."

She pushed some of the green food she had collected towards Fyn and his sisters. Salde wrinkled her face in disgust. Rya, on the other hand, took the first bite.

"This is delicious!" she said with a full mouth.

Fyn decided to give it a try. He bent down and began to chew on a piece. It was juicy, and tasted good, and as his mother had said, it was thick and would probably last for a while. Finally, Salde tried some, and her skepticism vanished. All three children were still gorging themselves on the new food when the Night Circle took its place in the sky. Fyn, exhausted from such delicious food and such a long journey, curled up next to his mother and fell asleep almost immediately. His sleep, however, was far from restful.

...

That night, another sleep story came to him. Again, he found himself looking down from the Rockfall into the Mysterious beyond, and again the crack in the earth opened, expelling the sandstorm. This time, though, Fyn could run. He ran away, with impossible speed, over the Drylands. The sandstorm had almost disappeared from sight, when Fyn stopped suddenly, right next to the crack in the earth. As he looked on in horror, he could see the sandstorm gaining again. He looked back to the crack, and saw a natural rock bridge spanning it. Grasping onto this small chance, he ran to it, and began to cross. He ran as fast as he could, gasping for air, when a cracking sound split through the sky. This was followed by a sound so terrible and so loud, that it stopped Fyn in his tracks. He searched for the source. It was clearly the call of a Sharptooth, but it was different than the sound the Sail-Teeth made. It was a low, guttural roar, and whatever made it was angry, and much more dangerous than the Sail-Teeth. Then the rock bridge began to give way, large pieces of it falling into the abyss below. At the same time, the sandstorm once again engulfed Fyn. He knew what to do next. He raised his head, to find the widening hole in the top of the swirling, nightmarish storm. When he located it, he began to try to see what was above. Slowly, a dark shape came into focus. From Fyn's perspective, it looked almost like a Longneck. As he tried to figure out who, or what it was, it began to speak, then something nudged him in the side, and he awakened.

"Fyn, wake up! Your grandfather wants to see us." Fyn woke up, and as his eyes came into focus, he saw Labon standing over him.

"Dad? What's going on?"

"Your grandfather told me to wake you. He wants to speak with both of us."

Fyn rolled to his feet and noted his surroundings. The Night Circle was still high above. "Now?"

"Yes," Labon answered, "he's been up all night. I think something's been bothering him." He nodded his head, a sign for Fyn to follow him, and headed for the side of the pool. Labon was there, gazing intently at the stars.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" he said, hearing Fyn and Labon approaching. Poldar continued. "To think that my Arcet is up there, watching us... I wonder what she would think of this."

Fyn was troubled. His grandfather rarely rambled like this, and he had almost never mentioned his former mate before. Arcet had died before Fyn was born. All he knew was that Poldar mentioned that she had been the most beautiful and kind-hearted Longneck in the grove, and it was rumored that her distant relatives were the ones to lead the Fin-Necks out of the Great Valley during the eruption of the Smoking Mountain. If Poldar was suddenly bringing her up in conversation... Fyn wasn't sure he liked where this was going.

Poldar addressed them. "I called you here to discuss what must happen in the event that I may die during this journey."

Fyn was taken aback. "But grandpa, you won't! Look how far you've gotten us! I saw how you handled those Sharpteeth back at the grove. You can fight, and you'll survive, I know it!"

Poldar smiled. "I know that this is hard for you, but remember; The herd is depending on us. If something should happen-"

"Nothing will!"

"-_If_ something should happen, then we must appoint a new leader for the herd." He turned to Labon.

"You've probably already realized that you are the best candidate for this position. There is no other Longneck I would trust more with this herd. You are next to inherit this position by the right of family, and the right of a true leader. If, however, you should be rendered unable to lead..." he paused, as if to consider his next words carefully, "then the burden will fall to Fyn."

"But I can't lead!" Fyn was shocked.

"You _are _next in line," Labon offered.

"But I'm just a kid! I don't know anything about leadership, and no one would ever listen to me. You can't talk about Dad or yourself dying! It won't happen! Please tell me it won't!"

"Fyn," his grandfather said to him, "I will do my best to keep everyone alive. This act must be done, however, in the event of the death or separation of one of us. It doesn't mean anything will happen. Trust me, we'll get through this."

Fyn began to calm at the sound of his grandfather's reassuring words.

"Now that you are both in the line of leadership, It is necessary for you to know how to get to the Great Valley."

The Longnecks laid down in a resting position beside the pool, ready to listen.

"As you both know, we've been following the Bright Circle's path through the sky. For now, this is all we need to do. However, soon, possibly tomorrow, we will come to a great crack in the earth. According to Bron, the dinosaur who gave me this information, this crack is as deep as a mountain is high."

At these words, Fyn felt a chill run down his spine. His grandfather had perfectly described the crack he saw in his dreams.

"Great care will be needed when in the area, as no one knows whether all of the earth there is completely stable. There is only one way to cross the crack, and it's a big risk for all of us."

Fyn knew what was coming next.

"Spanning across the chasm is a path of rock. It's small. So small, in fact, that we'll have to cross one behind the other. Once we've reached the other side, we need to follow the crack to some mountains. It is said that hidden within these mountains is a cave, and that cave leads directly to the Great Valley. In the mountains, however, are other dangers, like the flowing fire that created the Great Wall, not to mention Sharpteeth.

"What do these Sharpteeth look like?" Labon asked.

"They are large, certainly heavier than the Sail-Teeth, with a bigger head. They have small arms, with two fingers on each. They are also very persistent. We will not fight them unless we have no other choice. Supposedly, the last herd to cross the crack in the earth before it opened up was attacked by one such Sharptooth. We'll avoid these Sharpteeth at all costs, but for now, let's focus on the journey. There is a cave leading into the Great Valley, hidden in the Burning Mountains. It is covered by trees and boulders. The only sign that it's there at all is a small stream flowing out of the trees. This stream leads to a pond shaped like a Longneck's foot. When you find the stream, you must follow it into the cave. The Great Valley is on the other side."

Both Fyn and Labon were awestruck by this information. The journey, it seemed, was about to get much more exciting.

"Now, I've kept you awake long enough. It's time for both of you to get back to sleep. We're in for a long day tomorrow, and we start early."

"Good night, then," Labon said, and lumbered back to Keva.  
"Good night, grandpa," Fyn said, as he followed his father back. He didn't get back to sleep for a while, though. Everything his grandfather said echoed in his head, until finally his thoughts tired him out, and he collapsed, asleep.

Poldar, about to fall asleep, began to sense something. They say herd leaders develop keen senses, and that they can almost feel another creature's gaze. Poldar had the feeling that he was being watched now, and as he swiveled his head to locate the source, he finally found something. It was only there for an instant, a massive, dark shape near some distant boulders, but in that instant, Poldar locked his eyes onto it. He never moved his gaze, only closing his eyes to fall asleep.

...

The Sharptooth had followed the herd to the small pool, staying out of sight as always. He had been walking just outside of their line of sight, when it seemed that one of the Longnecks was looking at him. He froze, a tactic which caused most prey to simply ignore him, but the Longneck's gaze never broke. For a moment, the two locked eyes, then the Sharptooth disappeared behind some boulders. It knew that now would not be the opportune time to strike. The element of surprise was not with him. But, if he could not settle his hunger tonight, he could at least drink. After waiting a while longer, he softly stepped into the midst of the Longnecks and drank from the pool. All of the fresh meat around him was tempting, but he knew from experience that attacking one in its sleep would simply bring the rest of the herd down on him, so he drank his fill and moved out. There would be another time.

...

The following morning, Fyn awoke, not to the call of his grandfather, but to gasps, and shrieks. Worried, he scrambled to his feet and assessed the situation. It seemed that everyone was gathered near the pool. Walking over, he soon realized why everyone was terrified. Leading to and from the pool were tracks. Not tracks made by a Longneck, but the kind only a Sharptooth could make, and they were enormous. Salde and Rya, also examining them, were petrified. They found Fyn, and ran over to him.

"So this thing was walking around right next to us last night?" Salde asked.

"It could have eaten any of us!" Rya added.

"I wonder why it didn't, then," Fyn said. Then he remembered. His grandfather had seemed focused on something on the distant horizon just before he fell asleep. Had it been the Sharptooth? Perhaps it knew that attacking the herd when everyone was together like this would be a bad idea. In that case, all it would have done was had a drink and left. He was glad to know that everyone was fine, but it still spooked him that a Sharptooth had come right into the midst of all of them. He could tell that his grandfather was concerned, too, because shortly thereafter, he ordered everyone to eat and drink anything else they could before they left again. They cleared out quickly, and Fyn couldn't help but miss the peaceful little pool. Maybe someday he'd come back, but today he was focused on one goal: getting to the Great Valley as soon as possible.

As always, the day turned out to be long and hot, but with a full stomach, Fyn was feeling much better. In fact, everyone else was looking better as well. In all, despite the day's hardships, Fyn was content. When the herd stopped for a brief rest, they were even treated to the sight of a group of Flyers sailing over, low and fast. Fyn had only seen Flyers on rare occasions, and even then only high in the sky. Seeing these ones so low and moving so quickly was amazing. Fyn's spirits were high. Then, once again, the Longnecks marched on. Later, as the Bright Circle began to go down again, Poldar called for the herd to stop. Fyn was confused. He thought the plan was to make it all the way to the crack in the earth. He looked up at the faces of the grown-ups around him. All were stunned and fixated on something in front of them. Fyn worked his way towards the front of the herd, to get a better view. As he came closer to the front, he finally began to see what everyone else had seen.

It was the crack in the earth, and it appeared just as it had in his sleep story. The only difference was that in real life, it looked so much... bigger. Fyn ran back to Keva, to get his sisters. They wouldn't want to miss this sight. At the sight of Fyn's amazement, Rya couldn't resist a jibe.

"What's the rush? Did you run into a pretty _girl _Longneck out there?"

Fyn scowled. "No. I just thought you'd like to see something neat!"

"Sure," Salde said, ever the adventuresome one.

"Whatever," Rya said, following her sister. Fyn led them back to the front of the herd. The sight of the great formation took Rya's breath away, and Salde was awestruck. Then they noticed the rock bridge farther down the crack.

"We're going to cross on _that_?" Salde asked.

"It's our only way across," Fyn answered, "unless you have a better idea."

"Good point."

Poldar spoke. "Rest here. Labon has agreed to go to the rock path in the morning and make sure it's safe. If all is fine, we will cross afterwards. Tonight, rest well."

With his closing words, everyone began to spread out, looking for a place to sleep. Keva and Labon selected a spot underneath a shady outcropping. It was cozy, and Fyn was happy that, with the crack in the earth found, the journey to the Great Valley was about half over. He still couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen, though. His night was once again restless, but he was thankful that his sleep story did not make an appearance.

...

In the morning, Labon nudged Fyn awake. Fyn awoke with a tremendous yawn, and looked up at his father through sleep-blurred vision.

"What is it? Are we leaving now?"

"No, Fyn," his father said, "I was just wondering if you wanted to come with me to check out the rock path."

"Is Mother all right with this?"

"We discussed it last night, and she agrees that, with everything you've been through so far, what harm could a little adventure like this do?"

Fyn was pleased that he'd been asked to do this. "Well I'll definitely come, then!"

He raced out from under the outcropping, and towards the Drylands.

"Fyn," his father called, "that's the wrong way."

Fyn, still half-asleep, sheepishly grinned and followed his father. Together, they walked down a treacherously slippery path to the bridge. At the rock bridge's base, Labon paused, staring at it.

"Well, there's only one way to find out if its safe," he said.

He climbed up onto the bridge, and began to cross. Suddenly, he appeared to slip.

"Dad!" Fyn yelled.

Labon stopped slipping on the rocks and turned around. His face was lit up with an enormous grin. "Gotcha," he said.

Fyn grumbled. "Very funny," he said. The fact was, he was having a hard time keeping a laugh down. He fought it, but finally, when his dad began to laugh, he couldn't help himself. The two laughed until their sides ached, Fyn because of his dad's antics, and Labon because of his son's response. When they finally composed themselves, Labon motioned for Fyn to come and stand on the bridge.

"It's sturdy enough, but I think we'll need to send the grown-ups across one at a time. Look," he added, pressing his feet into one spot on the bridge. The rocks began to groan, an eerie sound which echoed through the canyon. "Enough force in the right spot, and half of this will collapse. If we try to rush everyone across, we'll lose the path, or worse."

He faced the sleeping herd, "I think we'll need to start now, if we plan on getting everyone across before the Bright Circle goes down."

Fyn nodded. The Bright Circle was already up, and he knew it could leave the sky deceivingly fast.

"Let's get back to the herd," Labon said, "you want a lift?"

"Sure," Fyn said, this being his second ride in a short time. He climbed up between Labon's spines, sat down, and enjoyed the view as they began the ascent back up.

"Dad," Fyn asked, "how come we haven't seen any other dinosaurs yet?"

"Well, the ones that live in the Drylands tend to keep to themselves, but I can guess they've been watching us for a while, now."

_"Great,"_ Fyn thought, _"another thing stalking us."_

"What about that Sharptooth?" He said aloud.

"I honestly don't know what to think about that. It came to the pool last night to drink, and we can hope that's the only reason it was there. My hunch, though, is that it's waiting for us to make a wrong move, or to show some kind of weakness. A lone Sharptooth wouldn't dare attack a united herd like this."

Labon walked up to Poldar, who was just waking up, and began to explain the situation with the land bridge. Fyn slid down his tail, and ran off to find his sisters. He found them chewing on some tough green food that was growing out of cracks in the nearby rocks. Rya was not amused.

"Mother made us eat these," she said, making a truly disgusted face. Fyn couldn't help but chuckle. This made Rya scowl even more.

"They're not so bad," said Salde, choking them down, "once you get past the chewing."

Fyn began to chew a few. They were largely tasteless, and dry, and his sister was right; they were very chewy. But, he decided, it was better than nothing. As he began to finish, he picked up the conversation again.

"Are you ready to cross the rock path?"

"No," Rya said, "but does it look like I have a choice?"

Salde, meanwhile, was positively bouncing at the thought. "I can't wait! Maybe I'll look over the edge, to see how deep the crack really is."

Rya started to look a bit green. At that moment, Poldar called a gathering. The herd began to congregate around him.

"From here to the other side, we will walk one behind the other. The path is too narrow to do otherwise. When we get to the rock path, we will cross one at a time. Parents may take children, but only one adult should be on the path at a time. Any more, and we risk collapse. Form a line behind Labon, and he will lead you down."

Fyn did as he was told, stepping in behind Keva. His mother turned to him.

"Did you boys enjoy your little adventure this morning?"

Fyn smiled, "we sure did."

"Ready to do it again?"

Fyn nodded. Getting onto the bridge a second time would be easy. Slowly, the column of Longnecks began to march down the path. There were several instances when someone slipped on loose rocks, but no one was injured. At the bottom, they all spread out again, as Poldar started the process of organizing them and sending them across. Fyn settled down in the shade. It was going to be a long day.

...

Once again, the Sharptooth watched with interest. The Longnecks were crossing the rock bridge, one at a time, and as they did, their numbers on his side were thinning. If one had seen the Sharptooth's face at that moment, something like a reptilian sneer would have been described. Soon, he would strike, but for now, patience was vital. He retreated into the shadows. Food would be plentiful tonight.

...

As the day drew on with only half of the herd on the other side of the rock path, Fyn decided to watch the other dinosaurs crossing the path. His grandfather helped him with some of the names, even giving Fyn background information on a few of them. An older Longneck had just stepped up to the path, and was about to begin crossing, when a younger male Longneck shoved through the crowd and violently pushed her aside. Fyn could just make out his words.

"I'm done waiting. I'm crossing this now!"

Labon heard the commotion and rushed to the scene. He confronted the Fin-Neck, who pawed the ground and tried to look menacing. Labon simply stared him straight in the eyes and whispered something. Immediately, the Longneck backed down and slunk back to his spot in the line.

"Who's he?" Fyn whispered to his grandfather.

"That's Sorven. He's challenged me for my position as herd leader many times, but he never won. He's a coward inside, and he only thinks for the good of himself, not the herd."

Fyn could detect disdain in his voice.

"Steer clear of him, and he'll never bother you, but anger him, and he won't let you forget it." Poldar sighed, "I don't know if he'll ever learn from his mistakes, and one day it will cost him."

Fyn turned his eyes back to the line of Longnecks. Sure enough, Sorven was glaring at Labon behind his back.

"Why is he so scared of Dad?"

Poldar answered him with a story. "One day back in the grove, Labon was walking the borders, as usual. He had just met your mother, and was on his way to meet her. Sorven, of course, knew of this, and for a long time he had wanted Keva as well. He had been watching your father get to know her through envious eyes. Finally, that day, he found Keva waiting for Labon. He tried to convince her to leave Labon for him, but she refused. He got angry, and threatened her. It was lucky for her that your father arrived. He defended her and forced Sorven away with a warning. That is, if you call several tail-hits and a damaged ego a 'warning.' Sorven has always been wary of him since that day, because he knows your father is stronger than he is."

Fyn was impressed. Since this journey began, he was learning more about his family each day. His grandfather's story, however, was hard to believe, now that he saw Sorven in the line, his muscles rippling with every step.

"Grandpa, are you sure that's what _really _happened? Dad doesn't look stronger than Sorven."

"Fyn, you'll come to discover that having strength is only a small part of actually being strong. You must also have a noble heart, and a keen mind. Your father was able to win the fight because he cared passionately about the ones he loved, and was willing to fight for them. All Sorven fought with was jealousy and greed. It takes a good dinosaur to be truly strong, not just one who can use his strength to push others around."

Fyn decided this made sense. His father was kind, and he selflessly defended the ones he loved, without a doubt. He went back to his herd-watching. Slowly, more and more dinosaurs crossed the rock path, until only eight remained, including Poldar, Labon, and himself. As the other remaining dinosaurs crossed, Poldar spoke.

"Well, Fyn, it's probably time to get you across."

Fyn had no complaints. He'd actually been looking forward to getting onto the rock path again. He liked the view when he stood on it. Two of the other dinosaurs were left when Fyn and Poldar made it to the path's start. The third was halfway across. Suddenly, a booming roar split the sky; the call of a Sharptooth. Everyone froze. The very atmosphere was quiet. Then, slowly, a rhythmic pounding sound could be heard. It was faint at first, but it grew louder and louder; footsteps, coming this way. Labon broke the silence.

"Go now!" he yelled to the Longneck on the rock path. The startled Longneck complied, going as fast as he could. Now the next one was on the path. She started across quickly as well. Then, something caught Poldar's eye: a movement. He turned to face a small gorge. Rounding the corner was a massive Sharptooth. His small eyes were fixated on the remaining Longnecks. As Poldar had described, he had small arms and two fingers on each hand, and he had enormous, tooth-filled jaws. Without warning, he began to charge.

"Get back, Fyn!" Poldar ordered. He and Labon faced the new threat, bellowing, shaking their spines, and cracking their tails through the air. These deterrents only fooled the Sharptooth for a moment, though. He stopped once, to roar, then started his charge again.

"Fyn," Labon said, "we can't get you very much time! Get across the path!"

"No way!" Fyn shouted back, "not without you."

The Sharptooth was upon the two Fin-Necks, now. They began to fight, trading blows with tooth and tail.

"Fine," Labon said, "then get everyone else across."

Fyn looked back at the path. The last dinosaur was about to cross, but his eyes were riveted to the fight going on.

"Sir," Fyn yelled, "you need to keep moving. The Sharptooth is being held back now, but we need a clear path to cross when we have to move!"

Nodding, the Longneck agreed. He began to move faster across the path. Now, it was just Poldar, Labon and Fyn on the side with the Sharptooth. Fyn turned his attention back to the fight, just in time to see the Sharptooth grab on to some of the spines, and part of the sail on Poldar's back with his teeth. Labon swatted him away, but the Sharptooth had done his damage; part of Poldar's left sail had been broken off. As the Sharptooth tore away, Poldar groaned in pain and anger.

"No!" Fyn shrieked. The Sharptooth looked up. It noticed the little Fin-Neck, and began to move towards him. Then, it began to charge. Fyn ran, waiting for the teeth to close on him, but nothing happened. He looked back just in time to see Poldar ram the Sharptooth with his body, overturning him.

"Go, Fyn!" His father said. By his tone, refusal was not an option. Fyn stepped onto the rock path, just in time to see the Sharptooth's teeth scrape along Labon's side. Labon hardly seemed to feel it, and cracked his tail across the Sharptooth's face. The beast howled in fury. Fyn continued to cross, while keeping an eye on the battle. Poldar was starting to lose strength. Fyn could see blood flowing from his damaged sail, and every move made him wince. Labon was trying to compensate for this, but his condition was also worsening. He wasn't bleeding much, aside from the scrape on his side, but the Sharptooth had dazed him with its constant ramming, tail swipes, and headbutts. As Fyn watched, Poldar tried to run his spines under the Sharptooth's neck, but the Sharptooth countered by hitting him with its tail, throwing him. Then, it lunged for Labon's face. He ducked in time, but unfortunately, the Sharptooth had anticipated this. It lunged forward with its huge head, throwing Labon against a rock wall. Labon was conscious, but Fyn could see that he was too battered to move. The Sharptooth sensed this, also. It moved forward, taking its time for the killing blow. Saliva dripped from its jaws.

"Come on Dad, get up!" Fyn yelled. Labon heard, and trembled as he tried again to stand. He made it to his feet, but collapsed against the wall again. The Sharptooth was unconcerned. It raised its head, and opened its massive jaws. With a roar, it brought its head down, raking its teeth across...

Poldar. Somehow, he had used his remaining strength to force himself between Labon and the Sharptooth at the last moment. The Sharptooth's head came up again, bloody. Seeing his opportunity, Poldar swung his tail, connecting with the Sharptooth's feet. The great beast fell, and lay still. Fyn rushed over to the scene. His father was starting to stand again, and Poldar was lying on the ground, shaking occasionally. Fyn couldn't bring himself to look at the wound the Sharptooth had inflicted. Instead, he laid in front of Poldar, the way he had done with Enif, the Longneck he had seen dying in the grove. In fact, the scene was very similar... but Poldar was family. This hurt so much more. He refused to believe his grandfather was dying. Fyn began to sob. Poldar opened his eyes to see Fyn, his round, innocent child's eyes filled with tears.

"Fyn," he whispered, "do not worry. I will see Arcet soon. Your father will lead the herd now."

"But you can't go now," Fyn said, "you're going to come with us and see the Great Valley. You'll live a long, happy life there!"

"But grandson, I've already lived one, watching you grow. I've been proud of you ever since you broke out of your egg. You and your sisters have come to be some of the best dinosaurs I know. As for the Great Valley, it's comfort enough for me to know that you will all carry on and see it. Just remember how I told you to get there."

He groaned softly as Labon slowly walked over.

"You... saved my life. Please, tell me there's something I can do."

"All I can ask is that you lead the herd with honor. Treat it the way you've treated my daughter, with selflessness and love. No dinosaur in the grove would have made a better mate for her than you."

Now Labon was beginning to cry, too. The sight only made Fyn sadder.

"Grandpa," he said, "I'll never make it to the valley without you. You know that."

Slowly, his big, noble eye fixed on Fyn again. "That is where you are wrong, Fyn. Do you remember what I told you?" He coughed. "You are strong. You have a good heart, and more wits about you than anyone I've known. You and your father must be the guiding light for the herd." Fyn sniffed, nodding. Meanwhile, Keva had made her way back across the rock bridge. She had instructed Salde and Rya to wait with the herd. As Poldar caught sight of her, he smiled.

"My daughter. I was hoping to see you before I..." his voice trailed off as he gazed skyward with a new intensity. The first stars were showing themselves.

"Dad," she said, coming forward, "I can never repay you for helping Labon."

"Don't worry," Poldar whispered, "you already have, by growing into the best daughter I could ever hope for. Your mother would be proud." He suddenly grimaced.

"I don't have long, now." Turning his gaze back to Labon, he said "remember, the herd comes first, the same way you've put everyone before yourself in life. Ensure that they reach the Great Valley. It is our only hope."

Finally, he addressed them all. "You are the future. You set the example for everyone else in the herd. Finish the journey. Make me proud." Then his eyes closed for the last time, and his body went limp.

The sadness hit. All three of the Longnecks standing by were rooted to the spot, struck dumb by the sheer injustice of what had just happened. All were crying. They had known Poldar for so long, and had counted on him reaching the valley with them. To have him torn away from them so quickly was unbearable. They stood, motionless, until finally, Labon spoke.

"It's time to leave now. He's in peace." As the Fin-Necks turned to leave, they were suddenly confronted by a noise; a low growl. Labon looked for its source. Then, realization dawned on him. He turned to the Sharptooth. His tail twitched, and one eye opened lazily.

"Everyone," Labon said, "get back to the rock path now!"

They began to move as the Sharptooth stood back up. With an enraged bellow, he lunged for Keva and Fyn. Again, he was confronted by Labon, whose strength seemed to double in his enraged state. He paid no heed, though, and pushed Labon aside, still chasing Fyn and his mother. Persistent, Labon cut the Sharptooth off at the entrance to the rock bridge, baring his teeth and cracking his tail back and forth. His display slowed the Sharptooth, but he was forced to continue backing onto the path. He glanced back. Fyn and Keva had already made it halfway across the bridge. Still, he stepped back. He could hear the bridge now, the rocks groaning under the weight of him and the Sharptooth, the sound increasing in loudness the farther he went. Suddenly, he had an idea.

"Fyn!" He called. Fyn looked up. "I have an idea about how to cut this Sharptooth off from the herd."

"What do you mean?" Fyn called back. Then it hit him; the inspection of the rock bridge, the discovery of a weak spot, and what was it his father had said? _"Enough force in the right spot, and half of this will collapse." _His father's plan became all too clear.

"There must be another way!" Fyn shouted.

"There isn't," his father said, continuing to back up. "Fyn, I give you my word that we will meet in the Great Valley, no matter what!" Then, he lunged forward, catching the Sharptooth off guard. The act gave him just enough time to perform his next action. He reared up, bringing his front feet down as hard as he could into the path. Immediately, rocks began to crack. The Sharptooth noticed, and began to retreat, running off the bridge. Labon followed. The bridge began to disintegrate. Entire sections fell away into the chasm, swallowed up by the darkness. Fyn and his mother ran as fast as they could. Behind them, their solid ground was disappearing. They made it just as the last of their side collapsed. Meanwhile, the force of the breaking path appeared to have activated unstable rock formations all over the crack. Walls, left unstable by the Earthshake that created the place, began to peel away. More rocks fell, and the intensity began to escalate. Soon, entire ledges were crumbling. Fyn could just see his father through the dusty haze. He was still doing battle with the Sharptooth. Without warning, a ledge above the scene of the battle crumbled away, sending heavy stones tumbling towards the two combatants below.

"Dad, look out!' Fyn yelled as loud as he could.

Labon saw the rocks falling, and ducked out of the way, only being clipped by a single rock. The Sharptooth was not as lucky. The rocks drove into him unrelentingly, pinning him against a rock wall. For the second time that day, it lay still. Labon, bruised and shaking, but otherwise unharmed, called weakly to the other side of the crack.

"Fyn, remember what your grandfather said! You're the leader now!" Get the herd to the Great Valley safely."

"No, no," he sobbed, "I can't do it."

"Fyn?" Labon called again, "Fyn, listen. You are strong. You may not believe me, but believe your grandfather. He saw you for the leader you are."

At that moment, Keva made another terrible discovery. Salde and Rya were gone. She called them frantically, but got no response. Then she hurried over to the edge, where Fyn was.

"Labon," she said, "our daughters are missing!"

Frantically Labon began to pace around, calling for them. After the third try, they emerged from a cave on his side. They had snuck over behind Keva, and had hidden themselves when the Sharptooth attacked. Keva watched as Labon comforted them.

"Labon," she said, "take care of them, and bring them to the Great Valley."

Labon's voice echoed loud and clear over the gap. "Keva, I promise you that I will find the Great Valley, and that we will all be reunited there." With those words, he turned, spoke to Salde and Rya, and began to move back up towards the spot where everyone had slept the night before.

Fyn, meanwhile, was still in shock and denial from what he had been told. He was weeping softly, when he heard a voice behind him.

"Ah, the reluctant leader. How sad."

Fyn turned, and found himself face-to-face with Sorven, the Longneck who had attempted to muscle his way through the line to cross the rock path earlier that day. Sorven continued.

"I couldn't possibly imagine what they were thinking. Someone as small as you has no reason to carry such a burden." His words sounded kind, and Fyn listened. Maybe he wasn't as bad as he had thought.

"If you'd like, I would be kind enough to shoulder that burden for you." The words triggered some alarm in Fyn's mind, but his thoughts were scattered after what had just happened, and he ignored it.

"Would you?" He sniffed.

"I would. Just say the words."

Fyn, searching his mind for the right words to say, finally came up with something.

"Then," he said, still gently crying, "I declare you the new leader of this herd."

Within an instant, the Longneck's demeanor changed. A sick smile crossed his face.

"Excellent."

He crossed over to Keva, still grieving over the death of her father and the separation of her mate and daughters.

"Remember me?" he said, sneaking up next to her. She recoiled in disgust. "Your son just made me the herd leader, and now it seems your mate isn't here to keep you safe. How sad." He came closer. Keva backed away, and when Sorven persisted, she spit in his face.

Sorven was disgusted. "How dare you!" he said, striking her with his tail. Keva fell upon the hard ground.

"She's my mother, you can't do that!" Fyn said, rushing to Keva.

"And why not?" Sorven said, his tail poised to strike Fyn, "you did make me the herd leader, after all."

Fyn now realized how he'd been tricked. He should have remembered his granfdather's words. Then an idea came to him.  
"As former herd leader, I take my lead back!" He announced.

"Changing your mind so soon? I'm afraid that won't do. You see, I'm not _giving _you your leadership back. I suppose you could challenge me, but that would hardly be fair."

"But only I know the way to the Great Valley," countered Fyn.

"An excellent point, which is why I'll make you this deal: you tell me the directions as we travel, and I won't harm your mother. Slip up, however, and I truly fear for her life."

Fyn was beaten. He had no choice, but to agree. With a nod of his head, the deal was sealed.

"Good," Sorven said, "I knew you'd see things my way."

"We may have a deal, but I will _never _see things your way," Fyn said.

"Watch your tongue, child. Now where do we travel from here?"

Fyn reluctantly told him the first of the directions his grandfather had entrusted to him.

"Follow the crack in the earth until we reach the Mountains that Burn," he said.

"Good, that wasn't so hard now, was it? With me in charge, the herd is in better hands than it ever was." He paused to let Fyn consider his statement. "Ever."

Fyn glared at Sorven. Not only had he harmed his mother, he had just disrespected his grandfather.

"I would advise you to move," Sorven continued. "We will not wait for stragglers, and I wouldn't want to lose my source of directions now."

He turned and walked back towards the herd, no doubt to instruct them of the turn of events and get them to move. The Bright Circle had set once again, and skywater was falling lightly. Fyn's mother finally stood, and she and her son touched muzzles.

"I'm sorry, mother. I wasn't thinking, I-"

"Fyn," Keva said, "you did nothing wrong. You acted as anyone in your situation would have. Remember, we're over half of the way to the Great Valley. Our lives will be better when we get there."

Fyn could tell, though, that she wasn't entirely certain, with Sorven in charge.

"Everything will be alright, mother. We'll get through this together, just like grandpa said we would."

And so, the two walked onwards into the falling skywater, towards the only hope they had left to grasp onto.


	3. Part 3: The Great Valley

The Land Before Time: Fyn

_Part 3: The Great Valley_

Sounds that didn't make sense, colors and images out of focus, emotions flickering by, and his grandfather's voice, repeating the words _"only a few of us are gifted with the ability to look past the panic, and make clear decisions in a time of crisis,"_ and _"Fyn, you'll come to discover that having strength is only a small part of actually being strong. You must also have a noble heart, and a keen mind." _All of this made up Fyn's sleep story on this night. He wanted to forget the horrors that he had faced earlier that day; the Sharptooth attack, his grandfather's death, being separated from his father and sisters, and lastly turning over leadership of the herd to a dangerous, self-centered dinosaur, but instead, they all came back to him in his sleep. Fyn tossed and turned upon the cold, hard, wet ground. The skywater that had started when the herd had left what remained of the rock bridge hadn't cleared at all. Finally, a crash of thunder woke him from his tortured slumber.

As Fyn awoke, the images and sounds from his sleep story seemed to linger for a while, and for a moment, he thought they were real. As they disappeared, he began to make sense of his surroundings. He was in a gorge, still close to the crack in the earth, the place that turned his entire world upside-down. Skywater was falling, and everyone else was still asleep, including Sorven. A thought occurred to Fyn, then.

_ "I know how to get to the Great Valley. I could run away if I wanted to." _Immediately, though, he put the thought out of his mind. Running away would be like throwing away everything his grandfather had taught him. He also knew that he couldn't leave his mother here, alone with Sorven, and what if Sorven were to lead everyone to their doom because he didn't know where he was going? Fyn thought about it for a while. After what seemed an eternity, he made the choice to stay. The journey would be much harder now, with an incompetent leader, but he had promised himself he would reach the Great Valley.

Nearby, his mother began to stir. She too, it seemed, had not slept well. Fyn moved to her side as the tip of the Bright Circle began to creep over the horizon.

"Mother, the Bright Circle's rising. We need to get ready to leave."

His mother yawned and stretched. "Yes, Fyn." She sighed. "I just had a terrible sleep story."

"About yesterday?"

Keva nodded.

"So did I," Fyn said.

As they spoke, Sorven woke up, and gave a loud, harsh call for everyone else to do the same. He pushed his way through the herd over to Fyn and Keva.

"Good to see you two are up so early." He smirked. "Anything else I need to know about until we get to the mountains?"

"No," Fyn said with downcast eyes.

"Are you sure?" Sorven growled, bringing his face right up to Fyn's.

"That's all I know."

"Leave him alone," Keva said, her voice laced with motherly anger.

"You would do best to mind your place!" Sorven snapped. He moved away, and called again, this time for the herd to begin moving.

Fyn and Keva had no choice but to obey. As they stood and began to hike, they finally realized the toll the previous day had taken on their bodies. Both ached all over, and Keva had a thin line running down her snout where Sorven had hit her. They moved on slowly, as everyone began to get the sleepiness out of their systems. For Fyn, taking the first steps away from his sleeping-place was the hardest walk of the entire journey.

...

Back at what was left of the rock bridge, the Sharptooth was still pinned to the wall by the rocks. After a quick check, Labon had confirmed him dead, and he and his daughters started their own journey to the Great Valley. On this morning, though, the Sharptooth stirred. One of his yellow eyes opened, followed by the other. Immediately, he was aware of pain. The Longnecks had done this. He had to find them, make them pay, have his revenge, but first he had to break free. With one powerful kick, he dislodged most of the rocks. He pushed himself out the rest of the way using his tremendous mass. He picked up the scent of the Longnecks almost immediately. He knew where they were headed, and he knew that there was another crossing not far away. If he hurried, he could still follow them. A shiver of anticipation rippled down his spine. He would destroy all of them if he could. One way or another, the problem would end.

...

As the day progressed, the Bright Circle beat down hard with its heat. As the herd continued to walk, following the crack in the earth, they noticed that the Skywater that had fallen was turning into a mist, rising from the scorching ground. As the ground began to heat, every step became painful, but Fyn and Keva didn't mind it. Their goal was clear, and nothing would stand between them and it. Sorven barely let the herd rest, driving them as far as he could. Soon, everyone was exhausted. Finally, Sorven stopped at a depression that held leftover skywater from the night before.

"We'll stop here for a drink," he said, "but we will not stay long. Prepare to leave soon." With that, he shoved his muzzle into the depression and began to drink, taking huge gulps of water. By the time he was done, it was half-gone. Everyone noticed, but none dared to challenge him. Fyn and Keva were the last to drink. By the time they got there, only a small puddle remained.

"Drink it, Mother," Fyn said, "you need it more than I do."

"We'll share it," Keva said.

The two bent down to drink. There was barely enough water to wet their mouths, but it was better than nothing. They could hear Sorven call again for them to leave. They hurried from the puddle, and rejoined the herd as they began to move again.

Their path took them into a gorge, and they began to lose sight of the land above. As they descended into it, everyone became quiet. The gorge was eerily desolate. Its sides were smooth, there were no loose rocks, and no plants grew anywhere. As they moved farther and farther into it, Fyn noticed something. Sorven was glancing around anxiously. Perhaps he thought the gorge was taking him away from his goal, and he couldn't see where he was going. Could it be the onset of panic? Fyn remembered that his grandfather had told him that panic could make dinosaurs do rash and dangerous things. He hoped this wouldn't be the case. Fyn had been keeping an eye on where the Bright Circle was in relation to the herd. He knew that they were still going the right way, but Sorven obviously hadn't considered the option. Finally, with no end to the gorge in sight, he stopped.

"Fyn!" he yelled, "get up here now and tell me we're going the right way!"

Fyn had no choice but to listen. He moved to the front of the herd, and was confronted by Sorven.

"Well?" the Longneck asked.

"We're still going the right way. There's no need to worry."

"And how could you possibly know that?"

"I've been looking at the Bright Circle, seeing if it's still in the same place as last time. If it is, then we're headed in the right direction."

Sorven looked confused, then angry.

"Well obviously I knew that," he said, correcting himself. One of the Longnecks in the front of the herd couldn't resist a snicker. Sorven heard him and whirled around, pinning against a wall.

"Is something funny?"

The Longneck was gasping for air and shaking his head.

"I didn't think so. Get back to your place or we'll leave you behind."

Sorven released his hold on the Longneck, and he dropped to the ground.

As the herd began to move, Fyn rushed to the Longneck's side. Keva was not far behind.

"Please get up. You know Sorven won't wait for you."

The Fin-Neck grimaced. "I know. I should have been able to walk that off, but after the last few days, I've just been so weak."

"Can you stand?" Keva asked. "If you can get up, I'll support you."

"I'll try," the stranger answered.

With a groan, he got to his feet. Immediately, Keva was right next to him, allowing him to rest some of his weight on her side. Arranged in this manner, they began to walk again. It wasn't long before the Longneck spoke.

"We can't go on long like this. Sorven's never been much of a leader, and you know that at the first sign of danger, he'll leave us all to fend for ourselves."

Keva nodded agreement as the Longneck continued. "Not that I blame you, Fyn. I know that he threatened you and your mother. Unfortunately, none of us is in a position to challenge Sorven to get leadership back." He sighed.

Fyn addressed the Longneck next. "What's your name?"

"I'm Alten, pleased to meet you." He looked back at his side, which almost certainly was in pain.

"I think I can manage, now," he said, removing himself from Keva's side. Gingerly, he placed all of his weight back on his own feet. Fyn could tell it hurt.

"If you don't mind, though, can I stay back here with you guys? The company at the front of the herd is far from hospitable."

"Sure," Fyn agreed. He'd already taken a liking to this Longneck. Slowly, he and Keva were forming a friendship with Alten; a herd within a herd. As they looked ahead, Fyn could see that the gorge was becoming more and more shallow.

"We're almost out!" He exclaimed.

As the herd moved back towards the surface, Fyn could see that the Bright Circle was setting. In the distance, he could also see the Mountains that Burned. Black smoke poured from the middle of the range. The Smoking Mountain! All the herd had to do was cross this stretch of Drylands. Meanwhile, Sorven was shaking his head and glancing around nervously. The crack in the earth was no longer in sight. For the second time that day, he stormed over to Fyn.

"Alright, what have you done?" he yelled, "the crack in the earth is gone!" He raised his tail to strike Keva again. She stood, staunchly waiting for the impact.

"Wait, don't!" Fyn cried. Sorven stopped. "The next place we have to go is those mountains. I promise."

"Across those Drylands?" He seemed hesitant, then faced Fyn again. "If you have mislead me-" He let his sentence hang, moving back to the front of the herd. Again, he drove them forward.

"As soon as I get to the Great Valley, I'll be done with him," Alten said.

"Don't count on it," Fyn said, "he's the kind that will still act in charge when we get there. Just remember; the Great Valley is somewhere within those mountains. We don't have to walk much longer. Just a few more days."

"_Of course," _he thought, _"a lot can happen in a few days. I found that out the hard way."_

Fyn began to settle in, and prepared for Sorven to signal a stop for the night, but the signal never came. Instead, as the Bright Circle finally left the sky, Sorven again gave the order to move.

"What's wrong with him?" Alten asked, "Poldar would never have done this."

Fyn wasn't sure, but he had suspicions. The indicators were all there: Sorven's unstable mood, his constant glances behind him, and his reaction upon leaving the gorge. He had a hunch that Sorven was falling victim to panic.

"The best we can do is carry on," Keva said, picking herself up and following the herd. Before long, Fyn and Alten joined her.

When they finally stopped in a wide, open spot in the Drylands, Fyn was exhausted. His muscles could barely move, and he couldn't even speak. When the order was given to stop, he fell asleep on his feet and collapsed to the ground.

...

The following morning, Fyn picked himself up off of the ground slowly. His body still ached, possibly more than the day before, and he was hungry. He knew that in the mountains, food would be available, but they still seemed so far away. Once again, everyone was still asleep. Fyn decided to wander off towards some rocks he'd seen when they stopped for the night. Perhaps he'd find some sort of green food there. Hungrily and hopefully, he approached. As he got closer, however, he heard a clicking noise. Curious but alert, he decided to sidestep and see what was on the other side of the rock first. As he moved, the clicking creature came into view. It looked small, barely standing taller than Fyn, and it had a long tail and stood on two legs. Its body was orange, with dark stripes running down its sides, and it had a yellow underbelly. It looked harmless, but when Fyn approached, its head snapped upright. Fyn stopped. For a while, the two simply stared at each other, then the creature glanced towards the herd, then back at Fyn. Suddenly, it screeched and ran away in the opposite direction. At that moment, Fyn realized what he had just faced: a Sharptooth known to the grown-ups as a Fast Biter. This was a small one, but before it had left, he could clearly see its sharp teeth, and, perhaps more dangerous, the large claw on each foot. He was surprised and relieved that this one had been alone. His parents had always told him that they hunted in packs. Fyn didn't plan on sticking around long enough to find out. He immediately headed back to the herd.

When he arrived, others were waking up, and Sorven was waiting.

"Trying to run away, are we?" he said with a sneer. "I can't imagine you'd get very far out there alone." He lowered his head down to Fyn's eye level. "If you weren't so valuable to me, I'd leave you here for the Sharpteeth."

"Listen," Fyn said, "whether you believe me or not, I saw a Fast Biter by some rocks near here. I know it was only one, but they travel in packs, and for all we know, they could be stalking us right now! You have to move the herd."

Sorven growled. "I know exactly what you're thinking. 'Poor Sorven's going to be afraid and lose control, and then I can take over again!' Well you know what? You're wrong. I will not fall for your tricks, and as for getting the herd on the move, I don't need you to tell me to do that. Now get back in your place before I make you sorely regret this conversation."

Fyn scowled once at Sorven, then moved back to his mother and Alten.

"Fyn," Keva said, "try not to push Sorven too hard. He's barely stable right now. If he loses control, a lot of us could get hurt."

"But he's not even listening to me! I really did see a Fast Biter. You two believe me, don't you?"

"After all that's happened so far," Alten said, "there's no doubt in my mind that you saw one."

Keva nodded, "but Sorven will never admit that he believes you, and as long as the rest of the herd believes him, we will be in danger. The best we can do is to stay on guard."

As the Longnecks continued their journey that day, the wind picked up speed, howling and driving sand into the herd. The conditions were far from favorable, and Fyn couldn't see far behind, to make sure the Fast Biters weren't following. This unnerved him greatly, but his mother reassured him, telling him that as long as they stuck together in a herd, they would not be attacked. She warned Fyn not to stray far from the herd for this reason. Eventually, the blowing winds began to calm again, and Fyn could see that they were getting closer to the mountains. Now he could see just how high they were. Some of them actually had clouds around their peaks. Every so often, he could see a flyer circling one, then swooping into the smaller mountains below.

They continued onwards, and when they were ordered to stop, they slept near the base of the mountains. The climate was cooler here, and Fyn was glad for a change in atmosphere. Perhaps now he could finally sleep restfully. He lay down to sleep, feeling the cool, dry earth underneath him, and, after a while, fell into a deep sleep. He wasn't asleep for long, however, when the sleep story came back.

...

In this version of his sleep story, everything up until the sandstorm was a blur. When he tried to look up through the hole in the sandstorm, as he'd done every other time, no hole was there. Now he was frightened. He could see nothing but the ground beneath his feet. He started to walk, hoping that he could find a way out. Then, as suddenly as the sandstorm had started, it faded away, replaced by a bright light. Fyn blinked, and strained his eyes to make out what was in front of him. From the looks of things, he was in a cave, and the light was pouring from a round opening in front of him. As his eyes adjusted even more, he could make out a figure, standing in the light.

"Grandpa!" he said.

In fact, the figure _was _Poldar, but there were no marks on him; nothing to indicate that he'd been in a fight with a Sharptooth. In fact, everything about him looked pristine. At the sight of him, Fyn was overwhelmed. Suddenly, he broke down in front of Poldar.

"Grandpa, I failed. I didn't do what you wanted. Now Sorven is the leader."

Poldar smiled. "You must not blame yourself for what happened. You had no choice."

"That's what everyone tells me, but _I _don't believe it."

"All that you need be concerned about is getting everyone to the Valley safely. This is the ultimate role of a herd leader, and you haven't failed, as far as I can see. And trust me," he chuckled, "I can see a lot more now."

"What do you mean?"

"You and your mother took in Alten when everyone else had left him to die. Sorven may be the herd leader by title, but you are performing the leader's duties, and my final instructions to you as well."

"I guess that does make me feel a bit better." Then he remembered something.

"What about Dad and my sisters. Are they...?"

"Some things I cannot tell you, but know this: so far, your father has held up his promise."

"Grandpa, I wish you were here. Our journey is almost over."

Poldar looked at him with a more serious expression now.

"Your journey is far from over, Fyn. In fact, the hardest part is yet to come."

"But we're close now, and I know the way-"

"Keep your wits about you and your heart close as you journey towards your final destination, my Grandson." Poldar was starting to fade away, and the light behind him was growing brighter.

"Grandpa, wait! There's so much more I want to know!"

"Make me proud, grandson," Poldar said, and the last thing Fyn saw of him was his smile, so proud and wise, fading into light. The light flared once, in a spectacular display, then everything went dark.

Fyn woke up to the sounds of the herd moving. Apparently, Sorven had wasted no time in getting everyone to leave.

"_Maybe my information about the Fast Biters scared him after all." _He thought about his dream. Had his grandfather really spoken with him, or had he imagined it all? One way or another, what he had said echoed clearly in his mind. The challenge was not in what he had already done, but what lay ahead. Fyn felt beaten by the journey, the hardships, and the unfairness of his situation, yet now something inside him had changed. Something small, but still present, like a single voice amidst a crowd; a voice telling him that all was not lost, that he wasn't a failure, and that he would see this journey through, come what may. Fyn gathered himself and followed the herd once again, saying nothing.

It wasn't long before the herd came to a pass leading into the Mountains that Burn.

"Where to from here?" Sorven called in his usual, unfriendly manner.

"All my grandfather said was that it's in these mountains somewhere," Fyn answered.

Sorven did not approve of this answer. "I've had it with you. Your grandfather was an old fool to not give you specific directions. From here on out, I'll find my own way! I can find the Great Valley without Poldar's help." He turned to Keva. "I can see now. I should have dealt with you and your son long ago. It will give me great pleasure to do this."

Sorven lowered into an attacking stance, his tail raised and his feet planted for a charge. Fyn could tell that this time, there would be no going back. Sorven had been pushed too far over the edge. Warily, Keva adopted a defensive stance, and Alten rushed to her side. Suddenly, Sorven froze, and his eyes widened, focusing on something behind Fyn and Keva. Alten had seen it, too.

Slowly, Fyn turned around. Standing only about a tree's length away was the Fast Biter he'd seen earlier that day. It looked at him, and made a curious chattering sound. Its large toe claw clicked on the rocky ground. Suddenly, it raised its head and emitted an abrupt bark. As if on cue, others began to appear on all sides but the entrance to the mountains. The herd began to back towards the entrance. With every step they took, the Fast Biters followed. For now, the herd was pushed together into a compact group. However, one Longneck accidentally broke out of the group. Immediately, the Fast Biters focused their attention on him. He stepped back into the group just in time, as the Fast Biters jumped at him. They fell short, backing off and snarling.

Sorven, meanwhile, was at the back of the herd, safe, or so he thought. He began to formulate a plan. The herd was between the Fast Biters and himself. If he ran now, he could make it the rest of the way to the Great Valley on his own, while the herd was distracting the creatures. _"Yes," _he thought, _"the herd will eventually be overcome, but they would have died anyway. Their deaths are of no consequence. Perhaps I can even play the story to make me a hero, the sole survivor, when I reach the Great Valley. It will be a tragic, but unavoidable accident." _He chuckled, running through the plan a second time. It sounded good, but he was running out of time to put it into action. Swiftly, he made up his mind, turned, and prepared to desert his herd.

Fyn saw Sorven preparing to leave. _"Coward,"_ he thought, _"leaving us all to die here while he takes the Great Valley for himself." _Suddenly, he remembered what happened when one of the Longnecks had stepped out of the herd, how the Fast Biters had been onto him faster than the wind. He disliked Sorven, but no one deserved to die by the Fast Biters.

"Sorven! Don't move!" he cried.

Sorven saw him and grinned. "Good luck, kid. Such a shame the whole herd had to be wiped out by the Fast Biters, with I alone surviving. Give my regards to your grandfather when you see him. It won't be long, now."

Sorven took off, running with all of his might. The Fast Biters, as Fyn predicted, saw him immediately, and they were much faster. Within moments, they caught up to him. One jumped onto his flank, digging its terrible claw into him. Two more jumped onto his back. Fyn looked away as more piled onto the helpless Sorven. The sounds of his death were cut off after a few short moments. All in the herd were silent. Sorven's death had attracted the entire Fast Biter pack. Fyn saw the opportunity.

"We need to go while the Fast Biters are distracted. There's nothing we can do for Sorven now," he whispered. The Longnecks around him agreed, and word was passed down.

"It looks like they're only attacking us only if we leave the herd," Fyn added, "follow me and stay together. I think I can get us around them."

Slowly, Fyn began to edge along the opposite side of the pass. The herd followed. As they passed the Fast Biters, some looked up and screeched, but none attacked. They were too intrigued by their new meal. Fyn tried not to look at what was left of Sorven. No dinosaur deserved that fate. Finally, when they were farther down the pass, and the Fast Biters were out of sight, they stopped.

"Fyn," Keva said, coming up behind the little Fin-Neck, "I think you've shown the herd exactly how capable a leader you really are."

Fyn tried to comprehend what she had just said. All he had done was told his fellow Longnecks how to stay safe during the Fast Biter attack, and guided the herd past them. Then he looked down. He was standing in front of the entire herd, the position Poldar had always taken. He thought back to what his grandfather had said in his sleep story. When Fyn had told Poldar that he had failed him, Poldar simply responded by saying _"All that you need be concerned about is getting everyone to the Valley safely. This is the ultimate role of a herd leader, and you haven't failed, as far as I can see." _The more Fyn thought about it, the more he realized that his actions _had _been those of a herd leader. Now, his task was clear. The burden of leadership was his to bear, and he would bear it with honor, and with the strength and compassion of his grandfather behind him. On the horizon, the Bright Circle was setting on another day. Night was following, and with it, Fyn could begin to see the very first stars start to form in the sky. He looked up to them, realizing that his grandfather must be up there, smiling. A single tear came to his eye.

"This is for you, grandpa," he whispered.

He turned to the herd.

"With Sorven dead, I assume leadership of the herd, being next in line, unless there are any challenges."

No one spoke. It seemed that the herd had more confidence in him than he had previously felt. Fyn felt anxiety and excitement flowing through him. This was his chance, his opportunity to bring his kind to a better life. He calmed himself, clearing his mind and making a final decision.

"I can see green food growing on the slopes of this pass a little farther ahead. We'll head for that and stop."

The other Longnecks nodded assent. Fyn instinctively waited for the call to begin the walk. Then he realized it was his responsibility, now. He gathered all of the air he could fit into his lungs, and released it, forming an entirely anticlimactic bleat. Several of the grown-ups behind him laughed.

"Okay," he admitted, "so that needs a bit of work. First things first, I guess. Let's get to that food."

He walked, and as he moved, he could feel the ground behind him shaking. The others were following him. He would never have believed it if he hadn't been here, right now. Each tremor he felt was another life, another story, counting on him to bring it to safety. The feeling was exhilarating, and it brought on a new feeling of maturity in him. Now he could do what he did best: help others.

"_I wonder what Salde and Rya would say about this," _he thought. Then he was hit by pangs of loss, remembering that they weren't here. He hoped they were safe. He quickly put the thought out of his mind. He had a mission to accomplish. There would be time for thought and reflection when everyone was resting, secure.

Before long, Fyn decided that there was enough green food growing on the rocky walls to feed everyone, and called a stop. He addressed his fellow Longnecks.

"We'll stop here. Eat what you can, but try to save some for everyone. Remember, when the Night Circle rises tomorrow, we could easily be in the Great Valley, and who knows what delicious food grows there?"

His words had apparently had an effect. Some of the herd began to talk amongst each other, telling each other what food they thought would grow in the Great Valley. While they fed and talked, Keva and Alten walked up to him.

"So," said Alten in a joking manner, "how's your new position treating you?"

Keva caught on. "Oh yes, what can I do for you, my most powerful and supreme leader?"

Fyn blushed, and the two older Longnecks laughed.

"I'm proud of you and how you handled things today," Keva said. "Your grandfather didn't make his decisions without careful consideration, and this choice was the right one. Maybe he even knew this would happen-" her voice trailed off. The subject of Poldar's death was still fresh in everyone's mind, and talking about him still brought up strong emotions.

"Mother, you should go eat," Fyn said.

"Not without you," she countered.

"I'm a herd leader now, I eat last. Do as I say and get food," he said in a mock authoritative tone.

"A leader you may be, but you're still my son. Come on, no one's touched the green food over there yet." She gestured towards a small rocky platform covered with grasses and tiny trees.

"I suppose I can't argue with that," Fyn said. He and his mother began to walk away, then he looked back and saw Alten, standing alone.

"Come on, Alten," he said, "you're invited, too."

As always, Alten was ready with a quip. "Ah the great leader summons me. I must come at once. As if I actually need an invitation to enjoy good food." He licked his chops.

Fyn laughed. "You'd better get moving then, or it'll all be gone when you get there."

He and his mother walked over to the platform, with Alten trailing. When they arrived, Fyn could tell there was a problem: it was too high for him to reach, and his mother and Alten could only reach the food that grew on its edge.

"Hmm," Keva said with a smile, "it looks like I need to find a way to get you up there."

She pretended to think for a moment, then dipped her head towards Fyn, scooping him up. "Hold on!" she said. Fyn rose quickly, and held onto his mother's face tightly as she reared up on her hind legs. When she finally stopped, all he had to do was step off. His mother's action seemed very familiar. Fyn tried to recall where he'd seen it before. Then he remembered.

"I didn't know you knew how to do that move, too. The last time I saw it, Dad used it on a Sharptooth."

"Well," she said, "it's not hard to do, it just takes practice and balance. Your father was very good at using it to get to the tops of trees. He's creative, and I can understand how he managed to use it on a Sharptooth."

"He told me he'd teach it to me someday."

"Why not learn now?"

Fyn was ecstatic. "Really? You'd teach me?"

"Sure," she said, then turning to Alten, who was gorging himself on some delicious-looking sprouts she added "do you want to help at all?"

She got no response. Alten was truly in a state of bliss, to the point where it was comical. Both Fyn and Keva laughed. In fact, Fyn realized that it was the first time that he and his mother had laughed in days. His mother directed her attention back to him.

"All right. Why don't you use that tree over there?" She gestured towards a tree about twice Fyn's height.

Fyn stepped over to it. "Okay, now what?"

"Now," Keva said, "place your front feet on the trunk, and walk them up."

Fyn did as he was told, walking his feet up the trunk until he was nearly vertical.

"Good, you've learned the first step. That's all you need to do to reach a high tree. Now try pushing back off and balancing yourself."

Fyn gulped. This would be tricky. Trying not to think too hard about what he was doing, he pushed himself backwards... and was immediately rewarded by a face full of grass. His mother laughed.

"Try again," she said.

In all actuality, it took Fyn several tries before he could balance, and even then, he couldn't stay up for long. It would take a while before he could perform the action starting from the ground, instead of a tree. He finished his practice and began to eat. The green food here was delicious, and nowhere near as dry as what grew in the Drylands. His mother was enjoying it, too. Alten had already eaten his fill. Keva jokingly offered him a clump of grass, and he put on the most hilarious sick face Fyn had ever seen. Finally, when they were done, they headed back to the rest of the herd. Morale was high. Everyone was talking about the Great Valley. Despite the hardships they had faced, all of the fatigue seemed to disappear from them. Soon, everyone fell asleep. Fyn followed them, trembling with excitement about what might await him tomorrow.

...

The Fast Biters had been eating since they brought the Longneck down. Their target had been large, and it didn't take long for them to all eat their fill. Now they simply stood by, guarding their prize. As they stood by, their leader chattered loudly; a warning call. The other Fast Biters looked at him in surprise. They could face most threats in the Drylands or in this pass. Then they felt it. The ground began to shake. It was almost imperceptible at first, but soon everyone could feel it. They began to flee in a wide arc, first towards the other side of the pass, then towards the Drylands. It didn't take long for them to see their intruder. Heading for the carcass was a fully-grown Sharptooth. As he moved forward, they could see that he had a long, ugly scar running across his back, and limped slightly.

The Sharptooth stopped in front of the Longneck, examining it. It wasn't the one that had defeated him, but at least it was food. It began to devour what was left, leaving nothing behind but bones for the Fast Biters. Tonight, he would rest, but already he could smell the herd. Tomorrow, he would track them down easily, and finish them all. He laid his head down and closed his eyes, falling into a dreamless sleep. Tomorrow, for better or worse, there would be a reckoning.

...

Fyn awoke the next morning to what he saw as a brand new beginning. No longer did he have to live in the shadow of fear that Sorven's leadership had become. Today, he would finally see the Great Valley, or he would die trying. He decided to wait for everyone else to wake. Everyone would need all the energy they could muster for the final push for the Valley. Already, some of the dinosaurs were waking. The wind had picked up speed again, and the pass was channeling it into fast-moving streams. When everyone was awake, Fyn made sure they were fed, and started the last stretch of the journey. Immediately, he began to look for signs of the Smoking Mountain. His father had told him that it sat on one side of the Valley. If they could find it, they would be close to the cave that led into the Great Valley.

"Everyone," he said, "we need to keep moving so we can spot the Smoking Mountain."

He was met with blank stares from most of the herd. Fyn was worried. Was he losing his credibility as leader already? Then he remembered that not many of them had been told the same stories we had.

"The Smoking Mountain," he said, "is a big mountain that shoots out fire and smoke. It's located in the Great Valley, so if we can find it, we'll be close. If we can find the smoke, we can follow it to the source."

Now, everyone understood. As they moved out, everyone began looking for some sign. They climbed up narrow paths, and traversed slippery, rocky terrain, all the while searching. Finally, near the peak of one mountain, they saw thick, black smoke pouring out from a place farther into the range. Upon closer examination, Fyn could see that the smoke was coming from something that looked like a mountain, with the top missing.

"That's it." Fyn called to the Longnecks. "All we have to do is head for the smoke." As they started down, Fyn began to wonder why this day was supposed to be a challenge, and why this particular range was called the "Mountains that Burn." Everything today had been easy so far, not to mention that everyone was in good spirits. Fyn started to let his mind wander, wondering what the Great Valley would be like, then he caught himself. He was becoming complacent, and complacency, he decided, could make short work of a herd. As they traveled farther, the air became thick with heat, and plants were fewer and farther between. The rocks, as well as the very ground, also became dark, almost black. Fyn wasn't sure, but he had a feeling that they were coming close to the heart of the Mountains that Burn. They continued onwards, feeling the intense heat that was now radiating from the ground and the air. Still, they walked. Finally, after navigating through shallow canyons that seemed to be made of some strange black rock, the Longnecks were confronted by a sight unlike anything they had ever seen. Towering in front of them was the Smoking Mountain. Fire flowed down its sides, and its thick smoke blocked out any light from the Bright Circle. In front of the herd was a flat, charred landscape, pockmarked with holes and cracks. Periodically, steam and fire would gush into the air through one of these. It reminded Fyn of the jumping water field back at home, only more dangerous. On the other side of the field was a canyon, but it was deeper, and rocks piled up on one side of it had mostly protected it from the Smoking Mountain's wrath.

"Listen, everyone," he said, "See that canyon? That's where we're going next. I know this field looks frightening, but it's just like the jumping water field. As long as you know where to step, you'll be fine. He moved forward, onto the black plain to prove it. The next to follow were his mother and Alten. Soon, everyone was moving across the field. They soon learned to avoid the holes and cracks, which were the only places that were dangerous. Fyn was impressed. They were making progress. Just as he crossed the middle of the field, he heard a bone-rattling roar from behind. Turning around, he saw something he had hoped he would never see again. It was the Sharptooth that had killed Poldar. Somehow, he had survived and followed the herd here. He obviously had not fared well through the fight at the crack in the earth. He walked with a slight limp, and had a scar running down his back, from where Poldar had hit him with his tail. Everyone was alerted. They began to scatter, running blindly.

"No!" Fyn shouted, "Stay as a herd. If we panic, we'll just bring more danger to ourselves."

Somehow, the Longnecks heard him. As the Sharptooth approached, they all came to Fyn, and formed their herd assembly. The Sharptooth was unphased. Fyn decided that it was bent on only one thing: revenge.

"Everyone move back!" he ordered. The herd began to move, but the Sharptooth was gaining. As it came closer, a voice shouted from the back of the herd.

"This Sharptooth wants me. Let him have his fight."

To Fyn's astonishment, Keva stepped out of the herd. Fyn saw in her eyes that stopping her would be impossible. Even so, as her son he tried to convince her otherwise.

"You don't have to do this, Mother."

Keva looked Fyn squarely in the eye. "Yes I do. It's time for this to end. He's not scared of any of us. If we continue to move back, it will still follow.

"But Mother-"

"Listen to me now, Fyn. As my son. Follow Poldar's instructions. Your purpose is to make sure everyone else gets to the Great Valley safely. Don't worry, I can handle myself. Go now!"

She adopted her defensive stance as the Sharptooth advanced. His eyes narrowed. This dinosaur had been there when he was defeated. She would die first. He growled, advancing slowly, cautiously. Fyn was mesmerized by the sight. Now, the two were circling, each waiting for the other to move.

"Fyn, you need to get the herd to move. I'll help your mother," said Alten, emerging from the herd.

"Right," Fyn agreed, tearing his eyes away from the scene in front of him.

"Everyone to the canyon!" he yelled. The wind was blowing violently now, sending burning ash all over. The herd paid no attention to the stinging debris. They moved swiftly, navigating around the field, until finally they reached the canyon on the other side. Once everyone was safely across, Fyn looked back. Alten, Keva, and the Sharptooth were still locked in combat. No one had taken serious damage yet, but both sides had surface scrapes. As he watched, he saw something forming in the distance. He squinted to see it. Whatever it was, it was growing and moving fast. Then he remembered the last part of his sleep story and he knew exactly what it was. It was a sandstorm, and it was headed straight for him! He called to his mother and Alten.

"Sandstorm! Get out of there!"

Alten heard him, and quickly looked towards the roiling sand moving ever closer. It wasn't a long glance, but it was just the advantage the Sharptooth needed. He dove forward, putting all of his strength into a single ramming charge. Alten was knocked off his feet, and immobilized. As Keva saw him laying on the scorching earth, she flashed back to the first time the Sharptooth attacked. In Alten, she saw Labon, also immobilized and struggling to get up. Again, the Sharptooth ignored her and advanced for the kill. Keva had to stop it. Thinking quickly, she rushed for the Sharptooth.

"This is for my father!" she yelled, capturing the beast's attention. When the Sharptooth turned his head, she was ready. She reared up on her back legs, and shoved the Sharptooth forward with all of her strength, just as Labon did to defend Fyn back at the grove, but this time, instead of pulling back, she followed through all the way to the ground. The Sharptooth smashed into the earth, and Fyn heard a loud crack. The rise and fall of the Sharptooth's chest grew slower, then stopped. It was finally dead. Fyn looked at his mother's face, expecting to see some sort of joy, or at least relief. He saw none. His mother's face was passive. She had done what she had to do. Nothing more. She moved over to Alten, to help him up. At that moment, his world became brown, and filled with flying sand, which stung when it hit him. He scolded himself internally for getting so carried away with the battle that he forgot about the approaching he realized that Keva and Alten were still out there, and they couldn't see where to go. Without sight, crossing the field would be very dangerous. He made up his mind to help them, but he had something else to take care of, first.

"I'm here!" he called to the herd, their sight restricted by the blowing sand. "Listen to me. I'm going back out to help Keva and Alten. Stay exactly where you are." He could see nothing, but their voices all agreed. Moving quickly, he stepped back onto the dangerous field. Being small, he had an advantage others didn't. He was closer to the ground, and could make out most of the path in front of him. As he moved farther and farther away from the herd, he tried to walk in as straight a line as possible. "Mother, Alten!" he called.

"Over here!" Fyn followed the sound of the grown-ups' voices. Through the sand, he could make out their silhouettes. Thankfully, Alten was back on his feet.

"Fyn, I can see you," Keva said.

"Follow me, and stay close. We _can _do this." Fyn said through the howling wind.

The Longnecks moved closer, bending down as far as they could to see Fyn. Slowly, they began to work their way back. They moved with caution, and Fyn could see relatively far ahead. Before they were back, though, a booming sound rocked the entire range. Fire erupted into the air directly next to Alten. He stumbled, but was supported by Keva. Fyn quickly determined what was happening. The Smoking Mountain was erupting.

"Move faster!" he yelled. The ground was shaking, and fire and steam began to break through normal patches of ground, as well as the cracks and holes. Fyn pushed forward faster. Finally, they made it back into the canyon.

"Is everyone still here?" Fyn called. Everyone answered back with confirmation.

"Good," Fyn said. The storm wasn't letting up, and if they were going to try to make it to the Great Valley, he'd need to pay attention to where they were going. "Follow Keva and Alten. They'll follow me." Again, murmurs of assent could be heard. Suddenly, Fyn heard a hissing noise behind him. Through the sandstorm, he could just make out a bright, glowing orange shape.

"_The fire that flows_," he thought. This time, though, it had started to spread across the field, and was heading for them. Wasting no time, Fyn started to walk into the driving wind and stinging sand, with the herd following. They moved until they could no longer hear the hissing behind them. Unfortunately, the storm was still acting up. Fyn was starting to believe that he'd made everyone lost. They would be wandering these mountains forever, just trying to find the entrance to the Great Valley. Exhausted, he finally broke down, falling onto the dirt. The challenges had been too much, and Fyn felt he'd never truly been ready for this position. As he lay, he could hear the others wondering why they'd stopped, and why Fyn wasn't speaking. Finally, Fyn realized something. Whether he had given up or not, _they _at least deserved a chance at a better life. He'd finish this journey for them, for the herd. Picking himself off of the ground, he noticed two things. The first was that the sandstorm was slowly dying down, and the second was that he was standing on grass. What had his grandfather's final direction been? He racked his brain until it came to him.

"_The cave opening into the Great Valley is hidden by trees and boulders. The only sign that it's there at all is a small stream flowing out of the trees. This stream leads to a pond shaped like a Longneck's foot. When you find the stream, you must follow it into the cave. The Great Valley is on the other side." _

As his visibility became better, Fyn could now see that water was in front of him. Relieved, he began to drink, to wet his sand-dried mouth. It wasn't until he lifted his head back up that he realized that he was drinking out of a pond. _And it looked exactly like a Longneck's foot!_

Meanwhile, everyone had begun to talk, nervously chatting about whether or not they'd actually find the Great Valley. Fyn shushed them, and listened. Just above the sound of the dying wind, he could hear a slight trickling. He rushed towards it. Sure enough, it was a small stream flowing into the pond, just as Poldar had said.

"Everyone come here!" He yelled, his voice filled with excitement. They could all see clearly now, and they followed the little Fin-Neck. Fyn began to follow the stream, which led up to a thick stand of trees.

"We'll have to push through," Keva said from behind.

Nodding, Fyn began to move through the underbrush. It was so thick, that every step he took was met with resistance. He pushed on, breaking through the green barrier until finally, he tumbled out on the other side. Shaking his head, he looked at his surroundings. Right in front of him was the last location he had to find: the cave. It was massive, and the entrance could easily fit five Longnecks side by side. As Keva emerged from the trees, Fyn spoke.

"Mother, it's just through this cave, we're almost there!"

She had no words; the sight left her breathless, but she nodded. As everyone else emerged from the trees, Fyn addressed them all.

"This is it. The last obstacle, the only other thing standing between us and our future. My grandfather told me that his one wish was not to set foot in the Great Valley, but to ensure that everyone else could first. Today, we are all honoring his wish." He paused. The next part of his speech would be difficult for him. "I want everyone to remember him," he said, choking up, "and everyone else who lost their lives to help us achieve this goal, as we walk through this cave." Fyn could see that his speech had brought tears to the eyes of many of the Longnecks. He was not the only one to lose a family member forever on this journey. When everyone was ready, Fyn crossed into the cave. Everyone followed behind.

...

The trip through the cave was so silent, with everyone deep in reflection, that they could hear drops of water hitting the floor far away. Fyn, himself, was deep in thought. He thought of the first dinosaurs to fall in the Sail-Tooth attack, those who had succumbed to the heat in the desert, and Poldar and Sorven, two polar opposites who had been brought down by Sharpteeth; one trying to save the herd and the other fleeing. He also thought about Labon and his sisters. Were they safe? He had no way of knowing. He thought about them until his ears picked up a roaring noise up ahead. Curious, he ran towards it. As he rounded a bend, he slipped in some mud. He quickly got up and shook himself clean, and in doing so, noticed something in the mud. It was a footprint, just the right size for a Fin-Neck. Could it mean that-?

He had to know. Ahead, he could see the cave opening. It was bright, just as it had been in his dream, but as Fyn approached, he could see that the brightness was water. He was slack-jawed with amazement; he was standing right behind a massive waterfall. The grove had small ones, so waterfalls were nothing strange to him, but none even slightly compared to this one. He could see a rock ledge just at the cave's opening. As the herd began to join him, Fyn stepped onto the ledge. A path led from it to the world outside. Fyn began to follow the path, not knowing what to expect on the other side of the falling water. As he began to step outside of the waterfall, his eyes squinted, from the sudden brightness of the sun. He fought to regain his vision. When it finally did return, he was greeted by a miraculous sight.

Down below was the most luscious, green paradise he'd ever seen. He could see that at the point where the waterfall met the ground, there was a small lake, off of which a winding river flowed. In the distance, he could see the Smoking Mountain, one of his last challenges, as well as his guiding sign to the Great Valley. The Valley had wide open plains, lush jungle, and places like the grove, where the thick jungle gave way to small clusters of trees and rocks. In short, it had everything it needed for Leaf-Eaters to survive. Perhaps one of the most important things Fyn saw as he looked down into the Great Valley, though, was dinosaurs of every shape, size, and color. As everyone else joined him, all marveled at the sight before them. Some even thought they'd died.

Fyn turned to his mother. "We made it, just like Grandpa said we would."

"Yes, Fyn," she said softly, in awe, "we did."

Fyn continued to follow the path, which led down towards the Valley floor. The path was worn smooth, but the rock was not slippery. Fyn was relieved that he could finally walk down a slope without the fear of falling. Ahead, he could see five young dinosaurs playing on the rocks: a Swimmer, a Flyer, a Spiketail, a Three-Horn, and a Longneck. Running ahead of the herd, Fyn decided to introduce himself. As he approached, the other dinosaurs looked up from their game.

"Oh boy, Farwalkers!" the Swimmer proclaimed.

"Oh no," the Three-Horn groaned, "more Longnecks."

All of them turned to greet Fyn as he approached. Fyn spoke first.

"Hi, my name's Fyn. I'm a Fin-Neck. My family and I are new here. We came from the Mysterious Beyond."

At these words, the other Longneck's eyes lit up. "The Mysterious Beyond? You migrated here?" he seemed to reflect on something briefly, then spoke again. "Well congratulations on finding the Great Valley. I'm Littlefoot, and these-" he gestured to the other assorted dinosaurs "-are my friends."

The Three-Horn spoke first. "I'm Cera."

"Me Petrie," the Flyer said in a squeaky voice. Then, it was the little Swimmer's turn.

"I'm Ducky, and this is my brother, Spike. He cannot talk, no no no." At these words, the Spiketail mumbled something and nodded his head.

"Do you want to come meet my grandparents?" Littlefoot asked. Fyn was delighted, but as the herd approached from behind, he remembered that his task wasn't over yet.

"I will in a moment," he said, "but my herd needs to find whoever greets the newcomers."

"Well that's not a problem at all," Littlefoot said, "my grandparents do that."

"Great," Fyn said. "Can you show us the way?"

"Certainly."

Fyn followed Littlefoot down into the Valley. Next to him flew Petrie, asking questions.

"So you come from Mysterious Beyond? What it like where you live?"

"Well, there are less trees, and it's right in the middle of the Drylands," Fyn answered. "Until now, we never had to leave, but we were driven out by Sharpteeth."

Petrie nodded. "Me see Sharpteeth before. They mean and vicious, grr."

Fyn laughed, in spite of himself. The little Flyer was hilarious. Next, it was the swimmer's turn to speak.

"I hope you do not mind me asking, but what is that on your neck?" Fyn was confused for a moment, then realized that Ducky had probably never seen a Fin-Neck before.

"That's my sail," he said, "I was born with it."

"Oh," Ducky said, "well I think it looks neat, yep yep yep."

Fyn saw that Littlefoot was approaching two of the biggest Longnecks he'd ever seen. They were certainly much bigger than his parents. A little intimidated, he asked Littlefoot "are they your grandparents?"

Littlefoot smiled. "They are, but don't be worried, they're really nice." As the herd moved forward, Littlefoot ran to his grandfather.

"Grandpa, there's a new herd here, and I found a new friend," he gestured to Fyn.

Littlefoot's grandfather looked at Fyn. "I'm very glad you made it here. What is your name?"

"Fyn."

"Well, Fyn, I'm sure you and your family will be quite content here." Littlefoot had been right. His grandfather was soft-spoken and kind. The Longneck addressed Keva, who had been in line behind Fyn.

"Welcome to the Great Valley. It's been a long time since we've seen Fin-Necks here. Please feel free to stay and enjoy what we have to offer." Apparently word had spread, because other dinosaurs began to come from all sides, eager to see the newcomers.

"We thank you for your hospitality," Keva said. "We plan to live here now. Our old home was taken by Sharpteeth."

The old Longneck nodded solemnly. Fyn could see that he understood. "You are safe here, now, and my congratulations go out to your herd, as well as yourself, for braving the perils of the Mysterious Beyond to lead them here."

"You're very kind," Keva said, "but I'm not the herd leader."

"I beg your pardon?" said a Three-Horn who had just taken his place next to Littlefoot's grandparents.

"I'm not the leader," Keva repeated.

"Then who is?" the Three-Horn questioned.

"I am," Fyn said, stepping forwards. Littlefoot and his friends were in awe, and the grown-ups were stunned, amazed at how such a young dinosaur had accomplished such a feat. The Three-Horn, especially, looked dumbfounded.

Cera walked up behind Fyn. "My dad's probably in shock, now that he knows a kid Longneck led a herd of Longnecks across the Mysterious Beyond. He really can't stand to be outdone. Don't worry about it. He'll calm down."

Fyn was relieved. The last thing he wanted to do was to make enemies here. Finally, it was Littlefoot's grandmother who spoke.

"Well, this certainly is an inspiring turn of events. This has never been done in the history of the Great Valley." Addressing Fyn she said "your bravery will be remembered here for a long time."

Fyn thanked her. As he turned to join Littlefoot and his friends, he remembered the footprint in the cave.

"Sir," he said to Littlefoot's grandfather, "did any other Fin-Necks come here recently?"

The old Longneck thought for a moment. "As a matter of fact, two young girl Fin-Necks, and their father arrived just before you did."

Fyn's heart nearly stopped. They had made it.

"Thank you," he said. He left to search the crowd. Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie and Spike caught up with him.

"What you looking for?" Petrie asked.

"During the journey, my dad and sisters were separated from me. I think they're here."

Petrie rocketed up into the sky and hovered, observing.

"Is that them?"

Fyn followed his gaze. Moving towards the herd were three Fin-Necks. Fyn could see that one was significantly larger than the other two. He knew exactly who they were.

"Dad, Salde, Rya, you're here!" he called, running to them. When they met, all of them embraced.

"I'm so proud of you, Fyn," Labon said. "I knew you'd be able to do it." As he and his father touched muzzles, Fyn realized that the leadership of the herd was no longer his. Labon was back.

"You know," Labon said, "if you want, you can lead the herd for a while."

Fyn thought about it. He had enjoyed much about leading, but he was still a child. One thing he'd noticed as herd leader was that he had matured mentally at a rapid pace. He wasn't sure he wanted that yet.

"Thanks Dad, but I still have to live as a kid first."

Labon understood. "I'll resume my role as leader, then, but first you have to give me permission."

Fyn tried to remember how the exchange was done. Grinning, he said "I... turn my leadership over... to you?"

"Close enough," Labon said, "now I'm going to go see your mother. Are you coming?"

Fyn looked back towards his new friends.

"Ah, I see," said Labon. "Meet us here when you're ready to come back."

"Thanks, Dad," Fyn said. He started towards his friends, but there was one final word of thanks for him. It was Alten.

"Fyn, I want to thank you personally. If it wasn't for you and your mother, I wouldn't be standing here today. I owe you my life. You can always count on me as a friend." The Longneck walked away, to join the herd. Fyn was glad that he'd arrived safely. After the injustice he suffered under Sorven, it seemed natural. As he prepared to join his new friends, he realized that _he _had one last "thank you" to make.

"Fyn, are you coming?" Ducky asked.

"In a moment," he answered. Fyn looked up at the sky, where the stars were starting to show. "Thank you, Grandpa." he whispered.

Then, he turned and ran to his friends. A new chapter had opened on his life. Fyn would come to have many adventures with Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie, and Spike as they grew together, and all of theme would become great friends.

But those are other stories.

**Author's Note**

**I always loved watching _The Land Before Time_ as a kid. I loved the characters, and dinosaurs in general have always interested me. Watching the movies, I cried when Littlefoot's mother died, and laughed at the antics of Petrie, the comic relief of the Great Valley. The movies were my inspiration, and I told myself they would always be my favorites. There came a time, though, when I began to move away from it, gravitating towards other things in life. I lost any connection I once had to _The Land Before Time. _Then, five years ago, my little brother was born. Within a year, he was watching the movies. One night, I sat down with him and watched the first _Land Before Time. _Watching from the standpoint of an older teenager, I saw deeper into the story, and into the characters and their motivations. It was then that I decided to create a character who represented me. At this point, there was no plan to write anything, I just felt I should try to see what my own idea for a character would look and act like. I started off with my favorite herbivore: Amargasaurus, and gave him a name: Fyn, a name that I felt symbolized one of Amargasaurus' best traits: the sail it proudly wore. I began to flesh out his background story, building on it day by day. Eventually, over the next four years I noticed that some of his traits began to mirror my own. It was at that point that I decided to start creating a solid story. I began with one sentence, a sentence that could have been spoken by any narrator in the _Land Before Time _series: "_Millions of years ago, when the earth was young, the world was a much different place." _Even as a young adult, the words still carried a sort of power, and majesty. From there, I created a sequence of events that, in some cases, were similar to things I had encountered in my life: the death of Fyn's grandfather, long separation from my own father, being given a leadership position and not feeling ready for it, and the strong bond between the main characters. Finishing this work was physically draining, and I typed the last chapter almost entirely in one sitting, but I feel it was well worth it. I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I close now with an old Fin-Neck saying.**

**"May the Bright Circle's light always guide your journey."**

**Thank you for reading this work. I look forward to continuing writing about Fyn and his adventures with Littlefoot, Cera, Petrie, Ducky, and Spike in the near future. Until then, read on and write on, fellow authors!**


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